Shared Genius
by Ann Parker
Summary: When Reid was in college as a young teen, he formed a connection with a young professor. Often misunderstood within their own worlds, the two rely on their friendship to help each other through events in their lives - good, bad, and well, sometimes just confusing. Friendship fic, non-slash.
1. Birthday Gift

***Notes: I'm alive! I know, who'd thunk it? :) Sorry that the NCIS/CM crossover never came to be…life got in the way and my creativity shrivalled up. But, I started to re-watch Numb3rs on Netflix and was inspired. I know how well received "Good Friends" was and I love the idea of Charlie and Reid being good friends, but I've decided to change things up vs writing a sequel. So this will go a little differently. I may or may not have a case fic in the middle of all this where they work together directly; depends on where my mind takes me while I continue with Numb3rs. I'm trying to make it mostly canon, although small details may change.

Also, to set up a time line, it's basically the same as the other story, with Charlie being "nearly 30" aka 29 at the start of Numb3rs (2005), which is the same year that Reid turns 24. Charlie would have graduated with his doctorate in mathematics at 16. Remember that Reid graduated high school at 12. The rest will unfold in the story. Since Charlie's school is more predominate in his story line, we're going with Reid studying at CalSci (since CalSci really is CalTech anyway…) Not beta read, all mistakes are my own. Enjoy!***

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

"Birthday Gift"

October 2005

Sighing, Spencer Reid tossed his messenger and go bags down by his couch while setting his pile of mail and take out on the coffee table. They had just gotten back from an interesting case in San Diego. The killer was attacking women and gluing their eyes open. But as he plopped down on his couch and ran his fingers through his hair, that wasn't the part that as pestering his brain right now.

A date. With JJ. At a football game.

Why did Gideon think this was a good idea again? Intellectually, he could see that his BAU mentor was just trying to push him out of his shell. Emotionally, he was, simply put, terrified. This case reinforced to him that he didn't know how to interact with people that well. The team's reaction to his joke about death and a search engine didn't go over so well.

Shaking his head, he tried to shake out this train of thought as he as he opened his Styrofoam container and started to sort through his mail. Mixed in his pile of junk mail and bills was a large envelope. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he paused reaching for his sandwich to open it. Tearing it open, he pulled out a stack of bound paper and another, smaller blue envelope. Glancing at what he had now deciphered was an academic paper, in draft form, a smile crept across his face when he read the author's name. He set it down and opened the other envelope, noting the all too familiar scribble on the front. He pulled out the card with a simple cake on the front. Opening it, he chuckled at the personal note written inside.

" _Statistics show that those who celebrate the most birthdays live longest. Happy Birthday, Spencer! Hope you are doing well. I recently started helping my brother with his work at the FBI. I developed something I thought you might be interested in and I hoped you could review it before I send it to publishing. Would love to hear your thoughts. After you finish celebrating being 24 of course. Cheers, Charlie."_

Reid smiled at the birthday card from his friend, mentor and former professor. He was impressed Charlie remembered his birthday since it was something he often chose to ignore. Although it was a somewhat happier time when he was in college and hung out with Charlie. He remembered walking into his first advanced calculus class at CalSci, even more scrawny and awkward than he was now at the age of 12. Of course, that was before his big growth spurt where he grew a foot within a year, not that his height helped how he felt about his appearance most days right now anyway. He was so excited that day, but also so intimidated to be around now even older "peers." He watched his professor write his name on the chalkboard and remembered reading Dr. Eppes' first paper when he was nine. He also remembered reading that his professor was 14 when he wrote it. A small glimmer of hope entered his thoughts that day, that perhaps he had met someone that would understand him.

Pushing those memories aside, Reid made quick work of the paper before him as he ate. Charlie's math for discovering an UNSUB's place of origin, or comfort zone, was fascinating. He glanced at his watch before digging out his cell phone.

" _Professor Eppes speaking."_

"I'm would love to know how in the world you started consulting with the FBI, Charlie."

" _Spencer! Sorry for the formal answer, I didn't look at my caller ID and was just staring at this fraud case I'm working on. Did you have a good birthday?"_ Reid could hear the slight distraction in Charlie's voice; a feeling he knew all too well. Sometimes it was really annoying when Morgan or Elle would ask him something while he was trying to piece together a puzzle for the case.

"Well my coworkers got me a cake and a weird hat. But then we got called to a case. So it was okay, I guess. Gideon got me an interesting present," Reid sighed. "I got your card, thank you. And your paper as well, but if you're busy-."

" _No, no, it's okay! I could probably benefit from stepping away from the equation a bit, you know how it can get,"_ Charlie chuckled and Reid replied in the affirmative. _"We can get to the paper in a minute. I sense something about this gift that you're not telling me. You want to talk about?"_

Reid sighed again, damn him for knowing him too well. "He got me tickets to a Washington Redskins game." Reid could hear the silent pause on the other end.

" _I thought you didn't like football given…"_

"Oh I don't. But my coworker, JJ, is a huge fan. I think Gideon can tell that…" Reid ran his fingers though his hair again. "I like her."

" _Ah, I see. And he thought you needed a gentle push into asking her out. I know the feeling, my friend."_ Another pause in the conversation as both geniuses got lost in thought for a moment. _"Well, do you think it's something you can get through and enjoy her company even if you don't care for the game itself?"_

Reid thought about that for a moment. Charlie was the only one in his life he'd shared that particular traumatic experience in his life with; not even Gideon knew. But was that what was freaking him out about the date or was it the actual thought of talking to JJ for a long time period the issue? "Maybe. I'm just not sure if I can find something to talk to her about. I mean she's so pretty and kind and smart…" He stopped himself from rattling on. "But all we ever talk about is work for the most part. And when we it's not work, its –"

" _Awkward silence?"_ Charlie chuckled as he finished Reid's thought. _"Believe me, I know the feeling. Amita and I couldn't find anything to talk about outside of work on our first date either."_

"Really? And was there a second?"

" _Actually we're supposed to go to a concert in a couple weeks. Think about movies, books, music, Spencer. I'm sure there will be something else."_ Charlie hoped he sounded more confident in his advice to his younger friend than to how he felt about his own situation.

"Hmm, I suppose. Thanks Charlie."

" _No problem, Spencer. That's what friends are for. So, what did you think of the paper? Can you offer any insights? It seemed like something you could use with your profiling work."_

Spencer smiled, "You're right. I definitely think its something the BAU could use to aid in catching our UNSUBs. The math seems very sound. I was thinking I could test it out on some of our old cases for additional analysis. I know Gideon and Hotch aren't going to let me use it until I show that it's tested."

" _Of course! I'd love for you to compare it to some of your other serial cases. In fact, I'll add you to the paper if you help supply additional support of the equation."_

Reid chuckled. "I don't know if that's necessary, but thanks. It's an impressive equation, Charlie. You know, Gideon always says the UNSUBs will make a mistake to help us catch them. Your equation can show that even when they think they are being random in their dumpsites and trying to throw us off their trail, we can find them. You can help us prove that nobody's perfect."

" _Well thank you, Spencer."_ There was a slight pause in the conversation. _"Nobody's perfect…"_ Charlie mumbled.

Reid raised an eyebrow at his friend's odd utterance. "Charlie?"

" _Hmm? Sorry. Listen I've—"_

"Had some sort of break through and need to go?" Spencer smiled at the hum of agreement on the other end of the line. "No problem, I'll let you go. I'll be in touch soon regarding my comparison cases."

" _Sounds great, thanks. Talk to you soon."_

Reid could tell he was losing Charlie to whatever was clicking in his brain now, something he could respect. "Bye Charlie." The pair hung up and Reid looked back at the paper on his coffee table. He was excited to compare casework to Charlie's equation. It would really become quite useful, this geological analysis. Although running some more math equations might not make it any easier to have normal conversations with the team. He furrowed his brow a little, remembering his concern about the football game. Maybe Charlie was right, if he tried to focus on some other things, the conversation might go okay. A small smile graced his features.

Well, he had yet to meet a problem that he couldn't solve.


	2. Expectations

"Expectations"

February 2006

Even though the case was over and the 'next Charlie Eppes' was not only proven to be a fraud but was behind bars, that comment was still rolling around on Charlie's brain. He knew Larry was referring to the young (also proven false) man being ahead of his peers and nothing more; in fact, he told his mentor as much, but something was still pestering him. It was affecting his focus on his cognitive emergence theory work.

Charlie thought of a time he wondered if he wasn't looking in the mirror, albeit 5 years younger. That's who he thought might be the next 'him' if he hadn't gone down a different career path. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

 _"Dr. Reid."_

"Hi Spencer. Is this a bad time?' Charlie could hear some papers shuffling and a chair squeak.

 _"Hi! No, it's fine. Just working on some consults, but I could use a break."_ After some muffled noise and what sounded like a muttering of a name, he thought it was Morgan, his friend was back on the line. _"Okay, sorry. My coworkers are too nosy. I went up to the conference room. "_

Charlie chuckled, "I understand. Do you socialize with them much outside of work?"

A pause. _"Not really. I play chess with Gideon sometimes. I'm still having a hard time connecting with them, I guess."_

Charlie nodded, familiar with that. "Don and I are just now starting to hang out more than we ever did growing up if that makes you feel better."

Reid laughed softly. _"A little, thanks. You might need to share some tips. I get the feeling Morgan and Don are a lot alike. But, that's not why you called, I'm assuming?"_

Charlie sighed, "No. Did you hear about our theft?"

 _"I did! I was glad to hear you got it back. I could imagine the alma mater was a little distressed that a $50,000 piece of equipment was stolen, even if it was recovered. I read it was a student that helped? He wasn't one of yours, was he?"_

Charlie started to fiddle with the chalk in his hand. "Not directly, but he was one of Larry's and I knew him. Larry even called him the 'next me' before we found out he was lying about...well, everything."

Reid let out a whistle. _"Wow. How's the great Professor Fleinhardt taking it?"_

"Well you know Larry." That got a laugh from the young profiler. Reid also noted the glances from Elle and Morgan from the windows, and rolled his eyes.

 _"I do. How are you handling things?"_

"I'm upset that I was conned by a student."

 _"That is an interesting way for a con to go, the intellectual route. The vast majority of confidence schemes involve selling someone something to get money from them, not study with them to gain access to expensive equipment to steal. You couldn't have predicted that, Charlie."_

"I know. That stings but..." Charlie hesitated for some reason. It was long enough for Reid to replay the conversation in his head.

 _"Wait. This is about the 'next Charlie Eppes,' isn't it?"_ When Charlie didn't answer, Reid tried a diversion tactic. _"I thought that was my title anyway?"_

A laugh escaped the curly haired mathematician. "You could've been. But you had to go chase bad guys instead. Although, I now see the appeal of that."

 _"Thanks. So what's bothering you?"_

"Do you ever feel you're not living up to the world's expectations? I mentioned to Larry that I now realize none of my work will come ahead of schedule again. I wonder if I'm letting people down sometimes..."

 _"Do you feel you're letting yourself down?"_

"No. I'm quite excited about my research on the unified theory of the neuro network and higher cognitive function, but I…I don't know. I guess I just got so used to surprising people with being ahead of everyone at a young age. Now, I'm thirty and feel like my best years are behind me." A snort came through the phone. "What?"

" _Seriously, Charlie? First off, did you just say you're studying the math of the brain?"_ Charlie confirmed this. _"That's remarkable and I want to talk about that more, but I know you realize that such a bold choice of study is going to take years, likely decades. You have, on average, about 46 more years to live. I think just completing your research before you die would have that coming in ahead of schedule."_

It was Charlie's turn to laugh. "Thanks for that vote of confidence."

" _Hey, I do believe you can complete that work. But you have to realize that a project like that can't be completed overnight."_

"Well, sure."

" _So don't you think that the best years of research are just starting? Just because you're not a teen whiz kid, something that I personally didn't think was all that great anyway, doesn't mean you're still not a genius in your field."_

Charlie smiled. "You're right, I suppose."

" _Of course I'm right. Think of all of those before you. Einstein, Newton, Nash. All completed their major contributions during their middle age or even later in life. And they lived significantly shorter lives than we do now. You're still young in comparison."_ Spencer paused. _"Not as young as me, but…"_ Both laughed.

"Thank you Spencer. I knew the 'next me' would get me a lot better than anyone else." The pair could almost hear each other's smiles. Charlie could hear some noise in the background.

" _Of course, Hotch."_ Spencer sighed. _"You're welcome. Glad I could be of some help. Listen, we've got a case so I've got to go. But, I want to hear more about your research sometime soon."_

"Absolutely. Can't think of anyone better to review it. Hope you have the attention span of a few decades, though." Reid chuckled.

" _I think I can make some time. Besides, if you're going to have any other small errors in your research, I'd rather you name the correction after me and not Penfield."_

"Oh really? You just went there, did you?" The pair laughed again.

" _Charlie?"_

"Hmm?"

" _Don't worry about the world's expectations so much. I may not listen to this advice myself all the time, but I think we both put enough pressure on ourselves to be the best we can be that we don't need to worry about the other 6.5 billion."_

Charlie set his phone down and rolled his shoulders, stretching. Spencer was right; his best years were just getting started and screw what the world thinks of him. Gripping the chalk in his hand, he hopped off the table and stared at his last stopping spot on the chalkboard with a smile.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

A/N: CM fans, I realize the irony of this chapter, trust me. The shoe will be on the other foot eventually.

Thank you to those that have reviewed/favorited/followed. If you have ideas of things (good and bad) the pair should discuss, feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do. Also, any thoughts about Charlie's life after he returns from England would be good-Reid will definitely have some things to talk about at that time.


	3. Confidence Boost?

"Confidence Boost?"

March 2006

Charlie was headed back to the office after leaving the FBI building when he stopped to grab a newspaper. As he reached for the paper, he caught the cover of "Celebrity Sneak Peak." Paper now forgotten, Charlie picked up the magazine and stared at the cover. A chuckle escaped his lips as he paid for this tabloid magazine. He dug out his cell phone and called his friend.

" _Dr. Reid."_

"So I miss seeing you while you're in town because you're off making out with a TV star? I don't know whether to be hurt or impressed, Spencer."

A groan came through the phone. _"You saw that?"_

"I'm looking at it right now. How did you end up with Lila Archor?"

" _I met her at the art gallery show. You know, the one you were supposed to meet Gideon and I at?"_

"Oh right, yeah, sorry about that. I got caught up…" Charlie hesitated talking about Susan Berry.

" _It's okay. Anyway, we got called into a case that ended up being her stalker case. I helped protect her and well…"_

Another chuckle escaped from Charlie at the pause. "See and Don doesn't believe me when I say us geniuses can be studs," he joked, trying to make his friend feel better. When Reid didn't respond, he threw another one at him. "Of course, Larry and Megan may have helped make my case."

" _Who's Megan?"_ Charlie smiled; he knew Reid was grateful for a distraction from himself.

"Agent Megan Reeves, she works with Don. Actually, she's a profiler." There was another pause. "Spencer?"

" _Megan Reeves? And Larry?"_

A smile crossed Charlie's face. "You know her?"

Reid nodded. Then he remembered he was on the phone. _"Yeah, vaguely. She spent a few months with our team while finishing some of her profiling training. She was mainly with Gideon, transferring after the Bale case. She was very kind; I liked her."_ Reid paused. _"She didn't treat me differently,"_ he added softly.

That made Charlie smile again. He had felt that too with Megan. The others, although appreciating his help, could sometimes make comments or jokes that were a little insensitive. Megan, however, always seemed to appreciate it when he explained things. Little did he know that she'd been the same way with a dear friend. "Yeah, she's great."

" _But still, she's dating Larry? That seems…unlikely."_ The pair laughed.

"I know, it still blows my mind sometimes, but it's true." Reid hummed in agreement. Charlie took that as his moment. "So, you know, you and Lila could have a chance too. If you want it to."

Reid coughed, back to being uncomfortable. _"Yeah, well, I don't know. But I appreciate the additional piece of data for me to analyze."_

"You're welcome, Spencer. Next time you're in town, I promise to fit you into my schedule."

It was Reid's turn to laugh. _"Ha, why thank you for that. I'm so humbled you will work on penciling me in."_

"Well, you know, if you're dating a celebrity, your schedule might be harder for me to fit into," Charlie teased.

Reid groaned. _"Bye Charlie."_

The mathematician laughed again at the dial tone in his ear. He knew his friend was uncomfortable talking about his romantic life, or lack there of most of the time. He couldn't blame him; his was quite confused about his own. But he did hope that the brief interaction with the actress served as some sort of confidence booster for his young friend. Glancing at his watch, he finished walking to his car to head back to the office. Wait until he showed the magazine to Larry.


	4. Healing Question

"Healing Question"

May 2006 

Reid took a deep breath, taking time to smell the air that was distinctly CalSci. He had just spent the last few days with his mom at Bennington after their plane ride home. Since their vacations had been interrupted, Hotch had granted the team another week off to recover from the Fisher King.

The time with his mother was nice, overall, but thoughts were bouncing around that he couldn't discuss with her. That's when he decided to cut his visit with her a little short and visit another place that had been like home. He walked around the quad, memories washing over him. He was so lost in thought that it surprised him when he found himself already at his destination. What he saw was also unexpected.

Charlie was sitting on his desk, just staring at the chalkboard. There were headings of 'Mom,' 'Dad,' 'Robbery,' and 'Pancakes' written on the board. Reid raised an eyebrow. Okay, so maybe they both needed to talk. Reid knocked softly on the doorframe. He watched his friend jump slightly before turning to see whom his intruder was. The startled gaze quickly became one of surprise and happiness.

"Spencer Reid! This is a surprise." Charlie jumped off the desk and made his way over. The two shared a brief, slightly awkward – at least for Reid – hug.

"Hi Charlie."

The shorter of the pair patted his friend on the shoulder, "It's good to see you. What brings you by?"

The two started to walk back into the office. "I had a few days off and was in Vegas so I wasn't that far away…" Reid rattled off. He walked over to the chalkboard. "What are you working on?"

Charlie sighed, "I'm actually done, I just hadn't erased that yet. I was analyzing a dream of mine using the activation synthesis model. But, I uh, solved it another way."

Reid turned and looked at his friend. "Math for dream analysis, that's a new one for me," he smiled. He looked back at the board, his fingers hovering over the word 'mom.' "Was it the first dream you'd had with your mom in it since she passed away?"

Charlie shook his head, "How did you figure that out so quickly?"

Reid shrugged. "It's been a few years since she passed. You were using a very organized technique to analyze something that is inheritably not a logic problem. You seemed to be in deep thought when I knocked. And you just mentioned that you'd solved it another way, which I'm guessing was a follow up dream. If this had happened more frequently, I don't think you would have dived into deciphering it the same way." When he turned to face Charlie there was a small smile and a look of awe on the curly haired man's face. Reid wrinkled his brow. "What?"

"I've never been profiled before. I also haven't ever seen you do it; it was impressive, albeit unnerving." Reid smiled, looking down at the floor. Even when Hotch or Gideon would tell him he did a good job, he still didn't fully believe it. It was a whole other level to have Charlie say it. "You're correct, by the way. It was my first dream about her and I think I found the answer in another dream last night. I was just starring at the board because I felt like if I erased the math, I'd forget about her again." Charlie turned to take a seat in his desk chair and rubbed his forehead.

Reid nodded, understanding. There were times when his mom was so lucid that he just wanted time to stand still so he could have those rich conversations he so treasured with her forever. Reid took a seat in one of the other chairs. He could feel the gaze from his friend.

"So what really brings you by?" The pair locked eye contact. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you, but I detect there's another reason for your visit than you were just in the neighborhood."

Reid shifted his gaze and in his seat. Sometimes he wondered if Charlie wasn't a profiler too. But then again, he hadn't made regular trips to campus since he had left for the academy so he could see why this was out of place. "We had this case where the unsub thought he was the Fisher King and my team and I were the Knights of the Round Table. He knew all these things…things that only I knew and had told my mom. I can't help but feel like I caused it all by sharing things with her that he then learned and used in his delusion. And Elle…" He swallowed hard. "Elle got shot." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together.

"Is she okay?" Charlie's question came out as a whisper. Charlie didn't know Elle, but could tell Spencer cared for his teammate, just like he cared for all of Don's team.

"Yeah. Well, she survived. Okay is a relative term and it's too soon to tell." Heavy air hung in the office. Charlie studied his friend, trying to determine how best to help him. He could see him mentally pulling into himself, a trait they shared. He had a feeling that if he tried to reason with him, it wasn't going to work. At least not yet.

"Well that's good news. I'm sure she will be in time, Spencer." The younger man nodded.

"Professor Eppes?" The pair spun their heads to the sound of another voice. Charlie immediately recognized one of his students standing in the doorway. "I was running late to class but noticed you were still in here. Are we not meeting today to review for the final?"

Charlie's eyes grew wide and glanced at the clock in his room. Thankfully, it was only five past three; not too late. "Yes, yes we are having class. Thanks for stopping Julie. I just lost track of time. Please head down there and tell everyone I'm right behind you." The student nodded and left as Charlie stood to collect his things.

Reid stood as well. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I didn't even think of that. I should go."

"Don't worry about it. And you don't have to leave; we can talk more after my class. In fact, you're welcome to sit in on it if you want. Or you're welcome to stay here or wander around campus. I'm sure you remember your way around." The pair started to head out he door.

"I do," Reid briefly smiled. "I'll find you after class." Charlie nodded as he ran off to his class of anxious students.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"This really is something, Charlie." Reid was standing in his mentor's garage, admiring the start of his cognitive emergence theory. The pair had picked up a pizza after Charlie's class, which had long since been forgotten after Reid started to review the work before him.

"Thank you. It's been a slow but steady progress. I find some time in between classes and helping Don out at the FBI."

Reid nodded, "I look forward to updates as you make them." He took a sip of his soda and turned back to face the other.

Charlie held his breath for a moment, "So, the Fisher King?" Reid set down his soda on the table and took a seat on the couch. He then poured out the story to Charlie. From getting the key at his mom's hospital to Garcia's computer hack and all the way to walking down the hallway to talk with Randall Garner. Charlie was fascinated and yet appalled at the story before him.

He moved from his leaning on the table to take a seat next to his younger friend. "Were you able to ask the healing question?"

"I asked him if he could forgive himself for what happened to his family."

"And?"

"He blew himself up."

Charlie's eyes widened; he wasn't expecting that. "Wow, ok. Were you able to save the grail? What was the grail, anyway?"

"His daughter that he had given up for adoption when she was five after the fire. And yes." Reid rubbed his eyes; it was like the smoke from the burning house was filling them again. He shook his head.

A sigh escaped Charlie's lips. "So it sounds like this man built quite the complex maze into his own delusional world. It also sounds like the faulty logic he used to build his world would have happened in some other way if he hadn't talked with your mother. Perhaps involving a different Knights of the Round Table or another story he wanted to embed himself into. And maybe that group wouldn't have been able to put everything together. Did you think of that probability?"

Reid opened his eyes and looked over to his friend. He supposed that would be true. Gardner was a man on a mission. If he hadn't heard of Reid's team while with his mother in the hospital, he would have found some other delusion to hold on to and committed the crimes in some other way, possibly with worse results. Reid slowly nodded. "I guess you're right."

Charlie patted him on the back, "So I guess I should ask you what you asked Gardner. Can you forgive yourself for writing things to your mom?"

The younger man sat back in the couch and let out a deep breath. "I think I can."

"Good." The pair was silent for a few moments. "Now, since I have you here, are we playing air hockey or chess because I'm pretty sure I still have the record in both." Reid glared at Charlie even as a smile crossed his lips. He was grateful for his friend's advise…and for a distraction as well.

"Oh it's on."


	5. Rocket Man

"Rocket Man"

December 2006

Relief.

Why did he feel relief at Larry's sudden deflation? Here was his mentor, having just learned that NASA was reviewing the idea of him going off into space – to achieve his dream – and he was relieved. What was wrong with him?

Now Megan was pleading with him to do something – anything – help him achieve that goal. The fact that she used a metaphor about a star collapsing in on itself to describe his best friend's spirit, well, that just proved to him how deep her feelings were for him.

Something hit him with that realization. She'd only known him for a little over a year and was dead set on helping him achieve his dream, even though it was going to be hard on her. Why was it that he'd known this man for majority of his life and he felt a reprieve at the thought of his friend staying firmly on planet earth?

He set the chalk down, unable to focus on the equation for the case right now. He was waiting on more data anyway, so maybe it was time for a break. His phone was already ringing before his head caught up with what he was doing.

" _Dr. Reid here."_

"Got a minute, Spencer? I'm pondering a problem that could use your expertise."

Reid wrinkled his brow at the odd greeting. He closed the file he was working on and stood to head to the break room area. _"As in my profiling expertise, Charlie? Don't you have a profiler on your brother's team?"_

"She's partly the cause of my problem," Charlie sighed, leaning back in his desk chair.

That momentarily stopped Reid in his tracks on the way to the coffee maker. What in the world could Megan have done? _"Okay…what's going on?"_

"You've heard about the latest shuttle launch in a few weeks?" Reid confirmed that he had. "Larry is supposed to go on that launch."

" _What? Larry Fleinhardt in space?"_ Reid chuckled and then caught himself. _"Wait, what do you mean supposed to go? What happened? I didn't hear anything about the mission being cancelled."_

Charlie sighed and went on to explain about Larry's deeper background check and his living arrangements in the steam tunnels that caused NASA's concern. "So it's like his journey has ended before it even began. Megan just left, asking me to help in some way to get him back on the launch. But there is a part of me that…"

Reid waited a second to see if Charlie was going to continue or if his profiling abilities needed to kick in. He could now see how Megan was not really the problem, but just presenting Charlie with a conflict in his brain…and heart. _"There's a part of you that's worried about how you'll handle your mentor being gone for so long. A part that wants to keep him safe so he'll always be there to guide you."_ Reid took a sip of his coffee and leaned against the counter. He could just make out Gideon's office from here. _"I know the feeling."_

Charlie ran his fingers through his unruly hair. "So what do I do?"

Reid again let the question hang in the air. What would he do if that were Gideon? Could he just let him leave if the older man wanted to? Reid looked down at his coffee thought his glasses. Gideon had taken a break from fieldwork after Boston. But, he hadn't disappeared from his life, which is what Larry would be effectively doing for the mission. Unless, of course, Charlie wanted to pay a ridiculously large phone bill. Reid shuttered, thinking about not being able to talk to Gideon. Just his presence after saving Nathan's life a few weeks ago helped ground him, pull him from the negative thoughts in his head. He felt for his friend; he didn't want to ponder what it could be like to have his mentor leave. Yet, he knew the answer to question. So did Charlie. _"What do you think you should do?"_

Charlie groaned. "I hate profilers." The paired chuckled, particularly since they both knew it he'd had limited contact with them. But the two he did know liked to turn things back to the person to make them answer their questions themselves. "Okay, so how do you think I can help him?"

" _Well I'm assuming his mission is NSA driven,"_ Reid started and received an affirmative from Charlie. _"I'd say contact whomever is in charge of the mission's planning."_

"Okay, but I don't know how I'd go about finding that information out. I may have NSA clearance but they aren't exactly forthcoming with that kind of information. I could be passed around for who knows how long trying to get to the right person."

Reid chuckled. _"This is true."_ Just then Garcia walked into the break room.

"Hey, sweet cheeks," she smiled as she worked on refilling her coffee cup. Reid smiled and nodded at her even if a slight amount of color was rushing to his cheeks.

A laugh came through Reid's phone. "Sweet cheeks? Who was that?"

Reid shook his head. _"It's our Technical Analyst…"_ He was going to elaborate when an idea popped into his head. _"I have an idea on how to get that number, Charlie. Let me get back to you."_ He watched as Garcia raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity.

"Really? That'd be great, thanks, Spencer." The pair said goodbye.

"What do you need, Reid?" Garcia smirked as she took a sip of coffee. "It's not like you to ask me to do something that's not work related. Oh, please tell me it's illegal!"

"Garcia!" Reid exclaimed, looking around to make sure no one had heard her. "It's for a good friend. And it's not really illegal…I think. I'll explain once we're in your office."

"Okay Junior G-man, let's go." She bounced on her heals as the pair turned to head back to her office. "Who's this friend? I don't hear you mention many people outside the office." She loved learning new things about her teammates when it came naturally and didn't involve digging into their pasts on her computers.

Reid took another sip of his coffee. He didn't really like sharing much about his past with his team, although that was usually because it would come about in the form of a bad memory, which wasn't the case this time. After he'd shared his fear about inheriting his mom's disease to Garcia, he had felt a little closer to the perky blond. "He's one of my professors from CalSci, we still talk from time to time. We've got another friend that needs help getting back on the upcoming NASA launch."

Garcia looked at Reid and smiled. Only he would have friends that are going up into space and sound so nonchalant about it. "Alright, well let's see how we can help get this Rocket Man into space, then."

A few minutes later, Charlie looked at the number Reid had texted him and took a deep breath. He knew that as difficult as it would be without having Larry around, it was going to be harder to have him around after his dreams had been crushed. He needed to let Larry be Larry. Maybe it was time for him to grow up a little too, to not have Larry there to always guide him or be a sounding board for his daily life activities. He picked up Larry's office phone, having wandered there while waiting to hear back from his younger friend. Time to call Dr. York and pray for the best.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Garcia leaned against Reid's desk as the pair stared at the television in the corner of the bullpen. She looked over at her friend and raised an eyebrow at the carton in his hand. "Why are you drinking milk?"

Reid smiled and looked up at her, keeping an eye on the launch. "Well, Larry is a bit…eccentric. Ever since I've known him, he's had a penchant for eating only white foods." He paused and Garcia chuckled. "So it seemed appropriate to send him off with a glass of milk." He grabbed a cup on his desk, and poured her part of the carton.

After he handed her the cup, they turned back to see the countdown. Garcia glanced at her friend and ruffled his hair. She loved seeing this side of him. Turning back to the screen, they watched as the shuttle safely launched into space.

"God speed, Dr. Fleinhardt," Reid stated as the pair drank the white beverage. Garcia squeezed Reid's shoulder before heading back to her lair. Reid turned back to his files after a moment, but before he opened the next one, he dug out his cell phone, typing away a quick message.

"BAU team, we have a case," Hotch stated from the balcony. Reid looked up and nodded. He pushed send as he rose to find out where the team was off to next.

On the other side of the country, Charlie looked away from the television set that showed Larry flying away and at his phone as it beeped. He smiled as he read the note from his friend, the one that had also helped him help Larry live out his dream.

 _Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars._


	6. Incomplete Data

A/N: Happy CM Premiere Day! :)

After Revelations-In the span of a few episodes, Reid goes from not knowing how to focus on the job if he identifies as a victim to bitchy/aggressive to distracted focus and unsure if he can keep doing the job. A wide range of emotions for sure, which in one may makes sense that he would respond in a wide variety of ways as he processed everything and dipped further into addiction and dealt with PTSD. In another way, it seems like he makes the jumps from one to another rather quickly. I suppose we're should assume some time passing in between the cases but still.

We also see Morgan try to talk with Reid, but only hit the high points on empathy, Emily call him out on his behavior, but be too new to be the one to push, and Gideon give, on further review, really lame advice. We also so Ethan call him out, noting that he was clearly using and be one of the few to talk to him straight without beating around the bush.

Forgive the bad pun, but something doesn't add up right. How does he so quickly from one emotion to another? I also wondered what triggered the Ethan memory if he hadn't talked to him in years. So, with that in mind, I would like to think that Reid talked with someone else that helped him a little more than the team. I know this didn't really happen, which makes that fact that he's sober even more impressive, but I digress.

* * *

"Incomplete Data"

February 2007

* * *

Charlie was busy cleaning off his chalkboard from his last graduate lecture for the evening, his office finally not smelling like skunk from Professor Novich's "bombing." He grinned to himself, remembering the prank he pulled in retaliation and to find out his tell. It reminded him of some the prank wars that would occur between the different departments. Spencer's prank while he was finishing his doctorate in engineering was legendary. That memory made him chuckle. It also reminded him that he should tell his friend about his poker win. The Las Vegas native would be proud. He finished cleaning up and then grabbed his cell phone. On the fifth ring, right before going to voicemail, it was picked up.

" _Hello."_

"Hey, Spencer! Guess who won the department poker tournament this year?"

" _I'm assuming Larry."_ Charlie wrinkled his brow at not only the statement, but also the flat affect in his friend's voice.

"No, he's still in space, remember? I did, I defended his title for him against Professor Novich of all people."

" _Oh right. Congrats Charlie, that's great."_ Why did he sound so…off? Charlie started to subconsciously pace around the room. Something wasn't right.

"Thanks. Yeah, I actually got help from Megan to find his tell. You should have seen the prank I pulled to find it out. I painted over his office door so it looked like his office had disappeared and had a video feed posted so I could find it. The prank reminded me of the one you pulled in '98. You know the one where-"

" _Did you just call to rehash old memories, Charlie?"_

That statement made Charlie stop moving for a second. What was wrong with his friend? He walked over to his office door and gently shut it, something he never did. He felt he might need privacy for this conversation.

"Spencer, did something happen? You sound different."

A snort came through the phone. _"You're the second person to tell me that recently. She's only known me for a few months. And yo-"_

"I what? Have known you for almost 13 years? I may not be a profiler, but don't think I can't tell when something's wrong. The last time you sounded this different was when you had your mother…" Charlie trailed off. That was a highly sensitive topic for his friend and he hated to bring it up, but something dramatic would have had to occur for him to be acting this way. The last time he remembered a person's personality being remotely this off was when Megan… Charlie's eyes widened, terrified for his friend.

"Spencer, did something happen on a recent case?"

A sigh escaped his young friend's mouth. _"Charlie…"_ His voice broke. Reid leaned against the wall in his apartment's hallway. Charlie had stopped him from going into his bathroom to get high. Why had he answered his phone? He didn't want to talk to him, didn't want to let him down. But…he also wanted someone to listen, really listen.

" _I don't…can't…"_ Words seemed to be eluding his genius friend's mind and Charlie felt his heart break a little.

"It's okay, it's okay." Charlie started, trying to comfort Reid.

" _No it's not!"_ Spencer yelled, sliding down the wall, tears starting to fall. _"I'm sorry,"_ he whispered.

"If you can't talk about it now, I won't push." Charlie swallowed. "I just…is there anything I can do to help?"

There was a long pregnant pause as Reid thought this over. How could Charlie help? _"I…"_ Reid swallowed down a sob. He was so afraid of being seen as weak with the team that he hadn't allowed himself to fully process everything. That was one of the reasons he took the drugs in the first place, so that he didn't have to deal with everything…anything. But Charlie wasn't the team; he'd seen him weak and vulnerable before and didn't judge him. Maybe he could actually talk about things? His mind started to think things through, but his normal quick moving synapses are sluggish from emotions and dilaudid. There was another minute of dead air on the phone call.

"Spencer? Please let me help you. You helped me through my mom's death; maybe I can help you. Is that what happened, did someone die?" Charlie held his head in his hand.

" _Me."_ It came out as a whisper, so soft that Charlie almost didn't make it out.

"Did…did you…say you died?"

" _Yes."_ A little stronger now. Reid scratched his arm by his elbow, knowing what was hidden under his sweater. _"I was taken hostage by one of our unsubs with Dissociate Identity Disorder. One of his personalities beat me and I had a seizure. I coded. One of his other personalities, Tobias, revived me."_

Charlie gulped down the bile that was creeping up his throat at this revelation. He couldn't decide what was more shocking, the story or the detached voice that told it. "Oh my god, Spencer, I…"

Reid blinked and cleared his throat, trying to regain control of this situation, suddenly wanting to take it all back in. _"It's nothing, never mind. Look-"_

"Don't hang up on me. It's not nothing. Please, talk to me. Or talk to someone on your team. Gideon maybe?"

" _I can't!"_ he snapped again, followed by another sob and whisper. _"I don't want to be seen as weak. I need to show I can still do this job. Although I'm not sure I should. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. Maybe I should quit. Do you think I should quit, Charlie? Tell me what to do. Please."_ The jumbled rambling of thoughts and emotions came out as Reid rubbed the flowing tears away with the sleeve of his sweater. God, all he really wanted to do was forget this whole conversation and grab that vial in his bathroom. But he also wanted guidance. He had spent most of his life fending for himself and protecting his mother without having anyone to lean on and guide him through life and that's all he desperately wanted right now.

Charlie took a deep breath. He had never heard Spencer so broken before. His fear for his friend's emotional and mental wellbeing made him want to scream 'Yes! Quit!' But he also knew that working for the BAU had been his dream. Do you tell someone to walk away from their dream? Hell, he had pushed out of his comfort zone to help Larry achieve his, with the help of the now broken man on his phone. He was supposed to now tell this same man to give up his? Although, currently, that dream seemed to be killing his soul so maybe he should.

"I can't tell you what to do, Spencer." He vaguely registered the tears starting to dampen his face. "I could see why you'd want to walk away after something like that and I don't think anyone could blame you if you did. But, for majority of the years we've known each other, you've always said you wanted to work for the FBI, the BAU, and that all your work was to get you onto that team. Is that really something you're ready to give up?"

" _I…I don't know. I'm struggling to even function normally right now, let alone work."_

"Well, that's understandable. Do you know of anyone outside your team that might have insight into walking away?" Charlie started to rake his brain for someone else that Spencer had mentioned in his past that he could talk to. He knew his mom was out of the question and he didn't have many friends growing up, although that improved some while in college and when he coached basketball. He vaguely remembered someone from Vegas. "Hey didn't you have a friend growing up that was going to join the FBI with you but quit?"

Reid blinked. _"Ethan."_ He hadn't thought of him in years. He quit because of…

"Yeah, Ethan! Maybe he's someone you should ask about walking away. He did, so maybe he can offer insight into going down a different life path and if that's what you'd really want to do."

" _Yeah, maybe."_ Reid's brain was starting to work again. Where had Ethan moved to again?

Charlie let the tiniest of smiles cross his lips and the slight bit of hope that came though in those two words. "I think that would be a good idea, Spencer. I think you need more facts before you can truly analyze this problem. You wouldn't want to draw a false conclusion by working with incomplete data sets, would you?" He closed his eyes and hoped that pulling out the math jargon would ground his friend back to a time where his head was clearer. More focused. Less stressed. He was met with the faintest of laughs.

" _That would be flawed research,"_ Reid softly answered.

"It would be and as one of my best students, I would be disappointed if you didn't fully evaluate the situation before making a decision like that." As he pondered his next response, he glanced at his clock. 8:20 PM. His eyes widened, calculating the time difference. Maybe his friend just needed some sleep. But, he also didn't want to end the conversation too soon. "I just don't want you to make any rash decisions."

" _I know."_

"Listen, it's getting late on the east coast. Maybe you should get some sleep. Talk to Ethan. Really think this over, don't rush into it."

" _Okay."_ Reid felt himself resist yawning. Sleep had eluded him for weeks now. At least non-drugged filed sleep. _"Thanks Charlie."_

"You're so very welcome if that helped at all." Charlie paused. "Whatever the conclusion you do come to, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

Reid smiled ever so slightly. Maybe he really wasn't alone with all this. He didn't tell Charlie everything, but he had talked more tonight than he had with the team over the last few weeks. And he did remind him about Ethan. _"I know. Goodnight Charlie."_

"Goodnight. Talk to you soon, Spencer."

Reid set his phone down, noting how heavy his eyelids were. Slowly he stood up and stumbled into his bedroom and onto his bed, hopeful that he might get some sleep without the drugs tonight. Maybe he could do this. Maybe…

Charlie hoped throwing that last line in there would assure his friend that he was going to check back up on him soon. He didn't want to hound him, it was going to take time to work through everything, but he wasn't going to have this conversation and then just forget about it either. As the pair hung up, Charlie leaned back in his chair and starred at the ceiling. He was still trying to full digest what he had just heard. It made him fear for Don and the rest of his FBI family. He now felt lucky that Megan seemed to come out a lot less damaged, although she was close to losing her life too. A soft knock and his door squeaking open startled him out of his reverie.

"Charlie? What are you still doing here?" His gaze turned to his girlfriend. What a sight for sore eyes.

"Hey. Sorry, I got tied up. Let's get out of here." He stood, planting a soft kiss on Amita's lips when she reached him. They started to head out the door when he stopped. "Wait, just a second." He ran back to the chalkboard and wrote '1998' in the top left corner with the word 'Save.'

"What's that for?"

He wrapped his arm around her, thankful to have her there as support, even if he wasn't going to divulge anything he heard tonight. "Oh just a reminder note for myself to check back on for a project." Amita raised and eyebrow but remained silent, having long learned when to push and when to let Charlie's thought processes lie.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie looked up from grading assignments, glad it was almost finals time for the semester. Finals would be wrapping up right when Larry would be reentering the atmosphere. That made him smile; he was excited for his friend's return. Glancing back up at the covered chalkboard, his eyes settled at the left corner. He hadn't heard from Spencer since that night. It had been almost two months; he knew it was time to check on him. He finished the last few assignments that needed grading before pulling out his phone.

" _Dr. Reid."_

"Hi Spencer." Charlie felt a little uncertain about how to handle the conversation. He heard a chair make a squeak and some office background noise. He gave his friend a moment to get some privacy, realizing he must still be wrapping up at work. He heard an elevator ding in the background.

" _Hey Charlie."_ His voice was soft, but not nearly as agitated or broken sounding as the last time. He was slightly hopeful.

"You sound…better. How goes the data collection?"

Reid sighed softly as the elevators opened again, allowing for his escape from the office for the day. He was glad this week, with it's visit to Baltimore and the Russian mob, was over. _"It did, actually. Ethan was helpful and so has time."_ Reid paused as he made it out onto the street. _"Our talk was beneficial too, Charlie. Thank you."_

Charlie smiled and released the breath he had been holding. "You're welcome, my friend. I'm so happy to hear that. What was your conclusion, if you don't mind me asking?"

" _I'm staying down this path, at least for now. I can't walk away. I'm slowly getting back to baseline."_

Charlie nodded to himself; he was hoping that was going to be the answer. He had a feeling his friend wouldn't be able to walk away from his dream. After working with Don, he had discovered the satisfaction of helping others with his skills and he imagined Spencer felt the same, if not more so. "Sounds like you worked through everything."

Reid sighed. _"I don't know about that, but enough."_ After just over 4 weeks sober – 35 days – he was starting to slowly accept that this was going to be a day-to-day struggle, especially according to all the literature he'd read about the subject. He was still trying to do this on his own, but was beginning to question that decision. He headed down the street towards the subway. _"Charlie, I…"_ His voice cracked slightly. _"I'm sorry for-"_

"It's okay, Spencer. No need to apologize."

" _Actually, there is."_ Reid responded quickly, too quickly. He sighed.

Charlie closed his eyes. It wasn't a hard leap for his brain to figure out what that implication meant. It wasn't uncommon for talented, genius, minds to travel down precarious paths. Having that much running through your brain and being unable to fully express it, or being able to turn it off from time to time, can lead to sometimes dangerous coping mechanisms. Never mind when you add in the trauma Spencer experienced. Some of the best minds in his fields of study were known of this - Paul Erdös, Ralph Abraham, Richard Feynman to name a few – had all gone down this road. He pinched his brow. So _that_ was why his friend was so different. He hated to think about what pushed him to that point, but at least now he sounded better, and that was a good sign. "Well, apology accepted. I'm just glad you're feeling better."

" _Thank you, Charlie. You're a good friend."_

"You too, Spencer, you too." The pair was quiet for a second. "Speaking of which, Larry is coming back down to earth soon. How do you think he's going to handle having come back down from the cosmos?" Charlie smiled as Reid chuckled and got animated as they discussed a happier topic. He could only imagine his friend still had a long way to go down his life path, but at least he seemed much improved since they'd last spoken. And for that he would always be grateful.


	7. Instincts

A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. That was a tough one for me to write. I'm so glad everyone thought I did it well.

Okay so the timing for this chapter was precarious. Janus List and the return of Frank are the same time. Then the "first case" after Frank is the university one where Hotch is suspended and Gideon goes off the deep end. I didn't think Reid would be able to help Charlie process the Janus list issues if he's dealing with Gideon leaving so…I don't see Gideon going back to work like 2-3 days after Sarah, a week maybe. So this chapter will occur during his brief time off, prior to the university case. The next chapter will occur after Colby is cleared/post Gideon leaving. Summer 2007 was a rough one for our geniuses.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

"Instincts"

May 2007

"Hey did you guys hear about this?" JJ asked the bullpen group. She gestured to the TV as a news report played. "Anderson, turn it up." The younger agent scrambled to find the remote to turn up the volume.

"…Ashby died today at USC Medical Center. Ashby was responsible for the bridge bombing five days ago. Ashby himself called the FBI to the bridge. Sources state that Ashby revealed a list of double agents among different intelligence agencies, including an FBI agent in the LA field office." Reid's eyes widened as he took in the news story, wondering.

"Oh my god," Prentiss muttered. The group hadn't even had time to process there had been a bombing in LA, too busy chasing Frank. Now, there were a bunch of double agents to worry about?

Hotch walked up to the group. "I skimmed the preliminary report. The agent was in the group that was on the case, the Violent Crime squad," he stated, shaking his head. Reid's head whipped around to look his unit chief, something that didn't go unnoticed by the senior agent. "You okay Reid?"

Reid swallowed. "Can I look at the report, Hotch?"

Hotch studied his youngest agent, deciding whether or not to question him as to why. He decided not to push it for now. Perhaps he just needed a distraction. They all could use one after the aftermath of Frank. Gideon was on leave until next week, recovering. The rest of the team was on stand down until then. He could humor the man's protégé for now. "Sure. I think it's still on my desk."

Reid jumped up, following Hotch to his office. He didn't even wait to take it back to his desk to read it, flipping though it in just over minute since it wasn't that long. He sighed heavily and handed it back to Hotch. "What's up, Reid?"

Reid shook his head. "Yeah. I just know someone who was friends with the agent arrested." He dug out his cell phone, breaking eye contact. Hotch took a breath, he hadn't expected that. They had already established that Reid didn't get out much when they were in New York last year so it surprised him to hear about people the young man knew that were outside of casework. If it were a different circumstance, he would have considered asking more questions.

"Go use Gideon's office, if you want."

Reid nodded, "Thanks Hotch."

Charlie sat on the bench, just staring at the koi pond even though he was hardly registering the movements of the fish. His gaze was unfocused from the thoughts swimming in his head. It just didn't make sense…did it? Logic dictates that it was true, he knew this, but it still didn't make _sense_.

Why would Colby do this?

The ringing from his jean pocket broke his revere. He glanced at the caller ID, afraid it was going to be Don asking him to help on another case. He wasn't ready for that. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the name. _"Hey."_

"Hey, Charlie." Reid was almost surprised he caught him. "How…Do…Are…" He paused, trying to decide how to start. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Charlie sighed heavily. _"It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't want to believe it, but I feel like I have to because I'm the one that uncovered the list in the first place."_

Reid shook his head, he knew that Charlie was involved, but the report didn't mention specifics. He should have guessed, however, based on the limited profile about Ashby. "Were you and Don targeted by Ashby?" He knew he needed more facts to help Charlie work through this.

" _Yeah. He knew things about Don and I, like the Eppes Convergence and Don's junior year batting average. He threw at us all kinds of questions, including the Wheaton Chess board problem. He tangled this crazy web of clues in front of me that I couldn't stop myself from solving it. I had to know what the end would be; it was too invigorating to not find out the solution. Now…"_ Charlie paused.

"Now you wish you could take it back so your friend wouldn't be in prison?" Reid guessed.

" _Yeah,"_ his voiced sounded defeated.

"You realize you uncovered more than just Granger's treason, right? You helped find multiple spies all over the globe. That's a remarkable feat, Charlie."

" _But at what cost, Spencer? I trust – trusted…"_ Charlie paused. _"My brother, Megan, David – we all have put our lives in Colby's hands. And now…do I just not trust anyone anymore? Did I misplace my trust with Colby?"_ He hesitated again, rubbing his eyes.

Reid pondered that question, as well as Charlie's tone and inflection. Charlie was usually a good judge of character. And he would assume the same of Megan from his limited time with her. He also trusted Don's judgment. They were by no means close but knew each other from Reid's time at CalSci. He imagined that David was as well. Then again, his whole team had trusted Elle. He didn't want to believe the unspoken act she had committed, but he knew he'd be lying to himself if he didn't, if she wasn't found guilty in the investigation. He knew something was off with her since Gardner shot her; he just hadn't gotten her to talk about it before she snapped. Her trauma changed her. But what was Colby's? Or was there any?

"Or…"

Charlie's eyes snapped open. _"Or what?"_

"Is there a third answer?" Reid offered, albeit hesitantly. He didn't want to give his friend false hope, but…

" _Are you suggesting that he's not really a spy for the Chinese? That we sent an innocent man to prison?"_

Reid sighed. "I'm suggesting that maybe there is more to the story. When we look for an unsub, we dig into their psyche to figure out why they are committing the crime. We look for the stressor that caused this action to occur."

" _Okay…"_

"But that only gets us so far. It isn't until we find them and do a complete background check that we actually piece the whole puzzle together to find out exact _why_ they did whatever they did. Sometimes there is as major trauma, sometimes it's a small event that pushes them over the edge after years of pain, and sometimes they are just born disturbed." Reid shuttered, thinking of Frank. Although after they learned about his childhood…Reid shook his head, shaking that away.

"But, there is always something, Charlie. They don't just wake up one morning and decide to kill someone else or blow up a building. The same idea can be applied to treason. Did Colby experience some sort of trauma?"

" _I don't know. He told Don that after Afghanistan – he was in the military before joining the bureau – he just didn't have anything to believe in anymore."_ Charlie paused, getting up of the bench and starting to pace. _"But if you were to listen to him talk about his time in the service, although he didn't talk about it often, it wasn't anything that made you think he was disgruntled with the country. Seems unlikely he'd choose the FBI if he was."_

"Okay. What about his personal life?"

Charlie shook his head. _"I don't know. I think he was single. I know his family is from Idaho, but I don't know details."_

Reid hummed in thought. "Charlie, I would need more details to give you a complete profile on Colby Granger. I don't think I can do that; I would need to be invited into to review his file, to interview him. You already have a profiler, although she may be too close to the case, but still…"

Charlie sighed. _"I know, I know."_

"What I do know it sometimes you have to trust your instincts. What are your instincts telling you?"

Charlie stopped, standing in the middle of his yard as he thought about it. _"I need more data."_

Reid shook his head. This was one of the things that separated the two. Reid had learned to believe in things without having exact scientific proof. Sure, as a man of science he would always prefer to have the numbers to support his theories, but his other studies into the liberal arts had opened his mind into believing in some things before all the evidence was in front of him. That and his vision in the shed… Either way, Charlie was different in that he needed the numbers to line up for him; it was his faith, as it were.

"No data, Charlie. Don't think. Do you think Colby is a traitor or not?"

" _No."_

"Okay. Now, prove it."

Charlie shook his head. _"How?"_

"How do you think? Follow the data you do have and see if your hypothesis is correct." Reid paused, letting that sink in. "Now, do I think you should work on this right now? No."

" _Why not?"_

"A researcher needs a clear head. Do you have one?"

Charlie sighed and went to sit back down on the bench, staring at the pond once again. _"No."_ He ran his hand through his hair. _"Okay, so I should take some time and then reevaluate the problem."_

Reid nodded. "I think that would be wise. Take a few weeks, walk away from crime fighting for a bit and clear your head." Reid noted how they had a similar conversation not that long ago. But the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak.

Charlie nodded. _"Okay. I can do that."_ He leaned back on the bench, his thoughts a little clearer now. It allowed him to drift to the other part of the puzzle that was this case. Reid stayed quiet, sensing there was more _. "He was brilliant, Spencer. It took both Don and I together to figure him out. There was something about this man. Everyone was trying to kill him. I actually helped a nurse move him and lure an assassin to MRI so I could knock him out with the machine! I never do something like that; I never put myself on line for someone else like that. That's Don, that's Megan, that's you – it's not me."_

Reid smiled to himself. He may go into takedowns of suspects a great deal, but Morgan he was not. He knew it was a necessary part of the job and he would take a bullet to save an innocent, but he could still relate to that moment of panic and disconnect from self-preservation that Charlie was talking about. He also noted the change in Charlie's tone regarding Ashby. He could tell he needed to talk about that as well. He looked out onto the bullpen. Looked like a few more files were on his pile, likely from Morgan…maybe Emily. Oh well, he still had some time.

"Tell me about him, Charlie."


	8. Brotherly Love

"Brotherly Love"

July 2007

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

He was right!

Seeing Colby lying in that hospital bed, now knowing that not only was he not really a spy for the Chinese but that he was going to be okay, Charlie could hardly believe that he had been right to trust his instincts a few weeks ago. After he had taken some time away from FBI cases and started to think straight, he had remembered about his paper from high school. Friendship math as Don called it; a Trust Matrix as he saw it. It showed him, it was the data he needed – the proof of his hypothesis – that Colby really was who they thought all along in their hearts.

He decided to hold off on visiting, he could tell that a sleeping Colby needed to rest. That thought made his heart race just a little bit, thinking about how close they were to losing him. He had heard from Megan about the needle that David pulled out of his chest. If they had been just a second or two later… Charlie shuttered, shaking that thought away. He was just so grateful that the man was going to be okay. That he wasn't a traitor. That he was _right_ about who his friend really was.

He made his way out of the hospital and headed home. He couldn't wait to call Spencer and tell him thank you. He had talked with his dad, Larry, Amita… Not so much Don as he was still trying to figure things out himself. But none of those talks had helped him like the one with his fellow, younger genius. Entering his house, he noted his dad was out and he knew Amita was teaching a class. Don was finishing up paperwork at the office. So now would be as good of a time as any to call, he figured. He pulled out his phone as he spread out on the couch.

" _Reid."_

"Spencer! Colby wasn't a traitor, I proved my hypothesis. Thank you so much for your phone call a few weeks ago, you have no idea how much that helped me. And it ultimately helped Don and the others, who were then able to rescue Colby before he was killed by the real spy." It all came out in a rush, his relief and excitement gushing out.

" _That's…that's great, Charlie."_ Charlie's hand, which had been gently drumming on his thigh, stilled. The deflated sound of the younger man's voice alarmed him.

"It is." Charlie paused; he was beginning to worry about a relapse, but didn't know how to ask. "Are you okay?"

Reid sighed, taking a seat on his couch. He had just returned from their first official case since… He pulled out the letter, staring at it again. _"He left."_

"Who left?" Charlie questioned. He had a sinking feeling, but didn't dare say the name.

" _Gideon. I went to his cabin to check on him when he didn't come back from leave. I found his credentials, gun, and a letter addressed to me."_

Charlie shook his head. Yep, it was who he figured. He had met the FBI agent only twice. First when he came to campus recruiting for the FBI and he watched as seventeen year old Spencer took to him immediately. The young man had already been thinking about joining the bureau or some other agency, something that definitely hadn't made sense to Charlie at the time. His past few years with Don had now shown him the appeal, but it still seemed like an odd career choice for the teenager at the time. Then again, Spencer had always been fascinated with crime novels and such, sometimes rattling off facts about Sherlock Holmes to him.

So it shouldn't have surprised him to see Gideon pull his young friend so quickly into the world of profiling. He watched as Spencer soaked up any form of attention from the senior profiler. He quickly started to add the psychology and sociology degrees to his otherwise strict hard sciences resume as well. He knew very little about Spencer's father, but he did know he had left him when he was ten. As the pair of geniuses got closer, he had tried to fill the void the best he could, be he also knew it wasn't the same as a father figure, particularly since he was not that much older. He could be a brother maybe, but not a father. He had even tried with Larry and his own dad, but Spencer still left distance between him and them. So there was clearly something about the FBI agent that struck a chord with Spencer and for that he was grateful, at least at the time.

The second time they met was at a dinner in DC. Spencer had just graduated from the academy at 22, after a few accommodations were made, and was getting ready to join the BAU. Charlie and Larry had flown out to congratulate their friend. He remembered briefly meeting Agent Hotchner as well, but the pair only spent time with their friend and his new mentor for dinner. He seemed pleasant enough, but there was something about how he spoke that made him wonder if he would really make the long term effort – if he _could_ make the effort – to support Spencer in the way he _needed_. Maybe he should have applied the trust matrix to the founder of the BAU back then.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he sought out more facts. "What happened?"

Reid leaned back, resting his head on the back of his couch. He started to unload the story about Frank, Tubbs, Hotch's suspension, Gideon not showing up to play chess, and finally the cabin. _"Emily said I need to reread the letter and think about why he addressed it just to me."_

Charlie sighed, why hadn't he told him about any of this sooner? _Because he was helping you deal with your own issues_ , he thought. They were quite the pair sometimes. "I think she's right. Why do you think it was to you?"

" _I…"_ he wanted to say he didn't know. But, the truth was that he didn't want to think about it. He had a guess, a hope, but if it was the reason it made him leaving all the more crushing than if it wasn't.

Charlie waited to see if his friend offered a reason. When nothing came, he pushed ever so gently and in a similar fashion he had been just a few weeks prior. "Stop trying to break it down into an equation. What is your gut feeling, Spencer? Why you out of everyone? You've told me how he's known Hotch and Morgan longer. That he has a son. So if he's walking away from his life, why were you the one he left a note for?"

" _He loves me."_ It came out soft and melancholy. Reid felt the tears starting to fall _. "But if he loves me, why did he leave me? Why does everyone leave me, Charlie?"_

Charlie felt his face getting wet too. He sat up on the couch and leaned on his knees. He didn't even notice his dad enter the house, ready to greet him. Alan had let his salutation die on his lips when he saw the distraught look on his youngest son's face. Hadn't they just been celebrating Colby? He chose to leave him be for now, heading into the kitchen.

"You can't look at it like that, Spencer. I know your dad left. I know Gideon was like a second father to you and his leaving make you feel like it's your fault. But, they both left because of their faults, not because of you. You've done nothing wrong. I don't know the details about your dad, but from you described, it sounds like Gideon is just feeling lost. Even if he was in the office with you right now, I don't think he would really be there for you mentally. He probably felt for the safety of your potential future victims that he needed to walk away from his work, even if that meant away from you as well."

" _That doesn't make this any less painful."_

"Of course it doesn't, I would never suggest that." Charlie paused. "I know this isn't quite the same, but when Larry—"

" _Larry came back."_

Charlie rubbed his eyes. "He did, but he wasn't the same when he came back either. Still isn't. I never mentioned it you, but he has spent months living at a monastery. He extended his leave from CalSci, overwhelmed by being around too much clutter and people. He's…still not the Larry I've known for over a decade, Spencer. Sometimes there are flashes of him returning to his old self, but I don't think he's ever going to be quite the same. Now I know going into space and being amongst the stars is a far cry from what you described Gideon experienced, but my point remains. Perhaps if Gideon had come back to work, he would have remained…different. Not capable of doing what he needs to do. Larry has told me he needs time to figure out who he is now after being so close to the heavens. Maybe Gideon needs this time to figure out who he is after being so close to hell."

Reid sighed, not quite ready to agree. _"Maybe. Why leave me a letter though?"_

"Perhaps he knew he needed to tell you goodbye in some fashion, but couldn't face the idea of telling you in person. At least you can take some solace in knowing that he wanted to say goodbye in some way. It sounds like it's more than the others got."

" _Hmm."_ Reid supposed that was true. Maybe that's what Emily was trying to tell him. Gideon hadn't felt the need to explain himself to anyone but him because he cared and he couldn't just leave without saying something. This didn't really make him feel a whole lot better, particularly since it reminded him of how his dad left, but it was something to hold on to for now. He flopped down on his side on the couch, one leg hanging over the armrest.

There was a minute of silence between the pair, Reid thinking and Charlie letting him. "Hey guys, what's for dinner?" Charlie looked up to see Don tossing his eyes on the table by the door. He then noticed his dad come out from the kitchen. How long had he been home? He was about to gesture to the phone when he noticed his dad put a hand on Don's shoulder and guide him away. It was small moments like this that it really hit him how much Spencer had missed out on by not having a good father figure. And just how much more painful this whole thing now was for his friend.

"Spencer?"

" _Yeah?"_

"I know this is going to take time to process. I know I don't have the same experiences as you with this. And I know I'm nothing like a father to you…but, I hope you know that I'm always here."

Reid smiled. _"You're right; you're not like a father to me. You're something so much better. Thank you Charlie."_

"Anytime." He paused. "Besides, us math nerds need to stick together, right?" He hoped a little levity would be good for them.

Spencer's laughed proved him right. _"This is true, we do. We really do."_ Reid yawned, have realized just how tired he was. He hadn't been sleeping that well since that night at the cabin. Add in a psycho making people live out their worst fears and it was a miracle he'd gotten any sleep on this last case. _"I'm going to go. Thank you for the talk. And I'm truly glad to hear about Colby."_

Charlie shook his head in amazement, surprised his friend even registered that comment from earlier. That seemed like hours ago given the rest of their conversation. "Thanks. I'm sorry about Gideon. Call me if you want to talk about it again, okay?" Reid replied in the affirmative and the pair hung up.

"What was that all about, Chuck?" Don asked, sitting down next to his brother, handing him a beer. "We ordered pizza, by the way."

Charlie looked up at his big brother and at his dad, who had just taken residence in the chair by the couch. "Just helping a friend through a rough time." He took a sip of his beer. He was eternally grateful for the fact that he had a somewhat normal family life, even if his childhood wasn't exactly normal. "I love you guys, you know that right?"

Don and Alan exchanged a glance before looking back at their genius. "We know, son." Alan answered.

"I love you guys too, very much." Don nodded in agreement. "Now, what game are we going to watch?"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

A/N: Whew, I'm glad that's over. Next up is a happier chapter for the pair, thank god!


	9. Friendship Math

"Friendship Math"

November 2007

Reid sighed happily as he strolled into his favorite family-run bookstore, conveniently just a few blocks from his apartment. When things weren't right in his world, he sought solace in the shelves of his lifelong friends. Sometimes books were his only friends. Thankfully, he was now at a point in his life where he has more than just his books, but sometimes he just needed be surrounded with the distinct smell of printed-paper and dust.

Now was one of those times. He was still working though everything with Gideon leaving. He was better, his talk with Charlie helped, but he still had things to process. He still has some chess game permutations to run as well, trying to be prepared for a game if Gideon returned. Now, he had to figure out the legend that was David Rossi. So far, things were awkward to say the least.

So he sought some refuge tonight. One of his first stops was always to the new books, although he rarely chose anything that was trending. Often times he hardly registered the titles into his memory if it wasn't a topic of interest. There was a rare occasion, however, when something would catch his attention. As he glanced at the titles, his eyes stopped at one in particular. Hmm. He shifted his gaze to the bottom of the book and his eyes widened. Quickly grabbing the book off the shelf, he turned it over to see his friend's photo on he back. His phone was ringing before he realized he had dialed.

" _Professor Eppes."_

"Why did I just find a book written by you under the self-help section of the New Releases? And why am I finding this out instead of you telling me? Or are you getting too famous for us mere mortals?" Reid teased.

Charlie laughed. _"You came across my book, huh? For the record, I told my publicist that I wanted it under the Sciences section, but I've been told it will get more attention there."_

Reid quickly read the inside dust jacket. "So a mathematical way to make friends? Where has this been all my life?" It came out as a joke, but both knew that there was some truth in that question.

" _Ha, I hear you, Spencer. So you said you were at the bookstore? Don't buy a copy; let me send you a personalized one."_

"You don't need to do that, let me help boost your sales," Reid smiled. Maybe he should get copies for the team; it might be the only math book that they'd ever read.

" _Please, I really don't care about that. Besides, how often do you get to personally know a best selling author?"_ Charlie joked.

"Well actually, I work with one now. Dave Rossi replaced…" Reid trailed off, that subject still sensitive.

Charlie paused, knowing what his friend was referring too. That was a conversation he wouldn't forget. Larry may have gone off into space and taken some time to get readjusted back to his life, but he hadn't just left. But now wasn't the time to be focusing on that conversation from a few months ago. _"Really? I know that name, he was one of the founders of your unit right?"_

Reid nodded, starting to walk around the store again. "Yeah, Gideon and him formed the BAU. It's been interesting so far…"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

 _A few weeks later…_

Reid took a long sip from his coffee as he pushed through the recently repaired glass doors into the bullpen. God how he loved his coffee.

"Morning Reid," Prentiss stated from her desk. Reid flipped his messenger bag strap over his head as he set it down by his desk.

"Morning." He looked over at his friend, noticing she was reading a magazine. "What are you reading?"

"Vanity Fair. Oh, you know, I just finished an article that you might actually be interested in. There is a bio piece about this author; he's actually a mathematician. He wrote this new book about relationships and it's climbing the charts. Sounds like something you might like." She looked up from the magazine to see a smirk on her friend's face. "What?"

Reid reached down for his messenger bag and flipped it open, pulling out a book. "You mean _The Attraction Equation_ by Dr. Charles Eppes?" He shows her the book in his hands, offering it to her.

Emily laughed. "I should have known you would have already picked it up." She took the book, inspecting the cover.

Reid smiled again. "Actually it was personally sent to me." He nodded, gesturing for her to open the book. Emily raised an eyebrow and opened the cover. Inside she read: _To someone that loves to solve crime with math just as much as me! Hope to see you the next time your in LA, Spencer! Charlie._

Emily looked up at Reid, back at the note, flipped the book over to see the photo of the author again, and then back up to Reid. "You know him?"

"Didn't his bio say where he taught at?"

Emily wrinkled her brow at his response. "Um, yeah. It was…CalSci, I think." Reid took a sip of his coffee, waiting. "Wait a minute…"

"Hmm?"

Emily shook her head and laughed. "He was one of your professors, wasn't he?" Reid nodded with a smile. "Although he seems too young really. But then again, you were too at the time, I suppose."

"Were young?" Reid teased. Emily rolled her eyes and offered his book back to him. "Actually, I finished it on the subway in this morning. It's great. It offers very interesting insight with mathematical principles. You're welcome to borrow it, if you'd like."

Emily smiled and set the book back down on her desk. "Thanks, I think I will."

"You will what?" asked Morgan as he walked by the pair.

"I'm borrowing a book from Reid that someone he knows wrote. It's on the best sellers list."

"Come on, princess, I'm sure Rossi would just give you a copy if you asked," Morgan teased, biting on his coffee stirrer as he sat down as his desk. Emily and Reid shared a glance and both rolled their eyes. Reid finally sat down at his desk, taking in the last sip of his coffee and grabbing a file off his stack of consults.

"Funny, but it's not Rossi. Reid just happens to know one more famous author than the rest of us."

"Oh really, Pretty Boy? You've holding out on us with all your fun connections?" Morgan turned in his chair, flashing his signature, teasing smile at his friends.

"Sorry to get your hopes up, Morgan, but it's not a book about sports so I can't score you some tickets to a game." Reid turned to look at his friend. "Although I could probably get you into the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics annual Conference. It's in San Diego next year."

Morgan just starred at him and then shook his head. "I think I'll pass." Emily laughed as she looked down at her first file for the day. It felt good to joke around after the past month since Garcia's shooting.

"BAU, conference room in 5 minutes." The group in the bullpen looked up at Hotch on the walkway and nodded.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

 _A few weeks later…_

Reid headed down the aisle of the plane, stirring the sugar he had just poured into his coffee. He could finally enjoy his favorite hot beverage without being surrounded by the Miami heat as they made their way back home. Sliding into his chair, he noticed Emily closing her book.

"Finished?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Emily smiled at her friend, "Yeah. It was really interesting; thanks for letting me borrow it. I've never thought about math being applied to something like this before. It's certainly not how I was taught the subject."

Reid smiled. "True, most of the methods used to teach math, at least when it's high school and basic college level, can be a little dry. That's one of the reasons that Charlie is so successful as a teacher, he's great at finding ways to explain mathematic principles into real life scenarios."

"And applying them too. It sounded like he helps his brother's FBI team in LA quite a bit in the article. You know, if I wasn't already working with a mathematical genius, I would have questioned how in the world that math could be so useful to solving crimes like arson, kidnapping, murder. But since I see it in action on a almost daily basis now, it wasn't as shocking to read that in the magazine."

Reid felt himself blush slightly. It wasn't often the team truly complemented him on his abilities. "Thanks. You'd be surprised, though. Math really is all around us, some of us are just able to see it a little clearer than others."

Emily's smile grew. "Well I, for one, am grateful that you are one of those that can see it better." She stood to get herself a drink, giving his shoulder a light squeeze as she walked by.

Reid softly sighed, surprised at the conversation that had just taken place. He reached across the table, sliding the book back to his side so he could put it back into his bag. Although, maybe he should see if one of the others would want to read it first, it seemed to work well with his first case study. He turned to look out the window, silently sending thanks to his friend for unknowingly improving one of his relationships by allowing her to understand him better.

Maybe there really was something to this friendship math after all.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

A/N: Thank you for the continued great reviews!

A little less Charlie in this one. I thought the show did a good job of handling how Charlie coped with his rise to fame, but I wanted to show how it would impact Reid. Granted in a much smaller way. :)

You may have noticed that I skipped "Limelight." The timing didn't make much since on the Numb3rs side so I decided not to merge the teams right now. I've decided that will come around chapter 17 - season 5 of Numb3rs/season 4 of Criminal Minds.


	10. Memories

"Memories"

April 2008

* * *

Reid sat down on the foot of his bed, having just come home from a meeting. He went straight there after the team landed, listening to Hotch's advice. The cravings had been growing during the case, but catching Owen alive had helped some. It still didn't erase the fact he was angry with that whole town – they had failed that young boy. If they had paid more attention – any one of them – they could have prevented all of this. Just like if people had paid attention to him in high school.

He flopped back, lying down with his feet hanging off the edge. He appreciated Morgan's support, but the man he saw as an older brother just didn't get it. He was smart, but not the smartest kid in the room. Not so smart that you move through the grades years ahead of your peers, making you a perfect target. Very few knew what that was like. And he happened to know one.

" _Hey Spencer, what's up?"_ Charlie answered a few seconds later.

"Memories."

Charlie sighed. That tone could only mean something bad. But which memories? He wasn't sure if he was talking about things in the recent years, college years, or… He took a seat on the garage's couch. He had just entered the garage to work on some emergence work. _"How far back are we talking about?"_

"When I was eleven," Reid grumbled. He told Morgan he hadn't told anyone, but the truth was he had told one other person, albeit not exactly on purpose.

Charlie shook his head, rubbing his forehead. The answer took him back to when he was twenty, Spencer fourteen. It was CalSci's homecoming – Seminar Day.

\+ - x / Flashback - 1994 / x - +

A group of students were hanging out in the lounge area in the front of the math building as they were waiting for family to come meet them. As such a young teacher, he often found himself mingling with several of the students since most were just a few years younger than him. Spencer was by far the youngest, although there were a few 16-17 year olds as well.

"God this is so much better than homecoming at my high school," stated Jeremy.

"Agreed," added Sarah. "So glad we don't have a football team roaming around here. Those jocks were so annoying and mean." A few more grumbled in agreement and then a few shared some stories of their torment of being shoved into lockers, being picked on in gym class or similar. Charlie sighed as he heard the stories.

"What about you, Professor Eppes?" Luke asked. "Were you picked on in high school? It couldn't have been easy being so much younger than everyone else."

Charlie frowned. "Sometimes. Most of the teasing was by my own brother," he semi-joked. The group chuckled. "He's five years older than me, but we were in the same grades during high school. He is a great baseball player, easily one of the most popular guys in our school. That protected me from any severe torture. Didn't help with making a lot of friends, though." He remembered his friendship paper from junior year. The group nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I could see that," stated Caitlyn. "What about you, Spencer? You graduated about the same age as Professor, right?"

Charlie watched as Spencer shrugged, reaching for textbook to read from his bag. "Yeah. It was okay, I guess." Charlie squinted at him, but kept quiet. The group quickly got distracted with another topic for the next few minutes before they scattered as family and other friends arrived. All but Spencer and himself; he had already known that no family was coming for his young student.

"Come on Spencer, let's get something to eat and hang out in my office before that presentation I have to go to. I bet Larry will be stopping in as well." He stood and helped the teen pack up his books.

"You sure, Professor? You don't have to hang out with me," Spencer mumbled. Secretly, he was beyond excited to hang out with his role model. Particularly since he knew his mom wasn't going to be well enough to visit. He stood as well, slinging his bag onto his shoulder.

"Maybe I want to Spencer. You have to get used to the idea that I want to hang out with you. And for the millionth time, it's Charlie." Spencer smiled softly at Charlie as they headed off to get food and take it back to his office. Charlie waited until after they had just a few fries left before he dived in. "You seemed awfully quiet during that high school bully talk."

Spencer looked down while finishing up a fry and shrugged. Charlie continued, "I'm not going to push you to talk, but I want to you know that you can tell me about anything you want. I know I got lucky having Don there to keep any extreme bullying away from me, but I'm not naïve to think that you likely went through hell."

"Well if it isn't my favorite student and his favorite student," Larry greeted from the door, effectively shutting down the conversation. Charlie watched the change on Spencer's face and sighed. He hoped he'd get him to unburden himself somewhat, he saw such sadness in his student's eyes. He had already told Charlie during last year's Seminar Day why his mom and dad wouldn't be attending, which was one of the reasons the teacher was keeping a protective eye on him.

"Hi Professor Fleinhardt!" Spencer greeted. "You know I just read…" Charlie smiled as the two went off into some discussion about black holes. Pretty soon it was time for Charlie to head off to his last required presentation for the day, one that was already full from alumni so Spencer couldn't attend.

"Spencer, if you want to stay here and study, you're more than welcome to. I'll be back in about an hour and a half and then I'm meeting my parents for dinner, I'd love for you to join us."

Spencer smiled, "Okay. Thanks Pro-" He noted the glare. "Charlie."

Charlie returned about two hours later to his office. He noted the lights were dim in the office (although still on) as he approached the door. He soon found Spencer asleep on his couch, one of his chemistry books on top of him. He smiled to himself and stayed quiet. His folks weren't coming by for another 45 minutes so he'd just let him sleep a little longer. He set about organizing some of his papers to finish grading.

"Please…" Charlie stilled his red marker and glanced at the couch.

"Let me go, please…" What should he do? This was definitely not his strong suit. Why wasn't his mom here yet?

"Just stop…" Charlie couldn't take it anymore. He stood and quietly made his way over, hearing another whimper as he made it there.

"Spencer," he shook the teen gently.

"Please…"

"Spencer…" he stated a little more firmly and shaking him a little harder. He watched as the eyes blinked open and the pain that registered in them before they could connect where they were. "Are you okay? You fell asleep on my couch and were having a nightmare." Spencer rubbed his eyes and shrunk away from Charlie's touch. Charlie removed his hands and leaned back but stayed seated.

"I'm…I'm okay," he sniffed. Charlie didn't speak but held eye contact. Spencer stared at him for a minute, weighing his options. He'd had over four years of raising himself. He didn't always talk to his dad about things before he left and he couldn't talk to his mom about these things. Maybe it would be good to finally tell someone something. He watched Charlie nod, encouragingly. Closing his eyes, he sighed.

"I was in the library…"

\+ - x / End Flashback / x - +

Charlie blinked, shaking that memory off to focus on the present. _"What triggered that?"_

Reid sighed, "We had this case. A teenage boy that had so many things go wrong as he grew up. He started to kill everyone that caused his torment growing up. I saw so much of myself in his profile. I couldn't help but think that if I had been older, I might have…"

Charlie's eyes widened. _"No, Spencer, no. I obviously can't deny that you had a pretty rough childhood, but violence has never been your solution to anything._ "

Reid ran a hand through his long hair. "True. I did talk him down in the end so that he didn't have to die." He paused. "Granted I blocked anyone else's shot and didn't have on my vest, but…"

Charlie rubbed his eyes. _"Why do you tell me these things?"_ he joked. _"You and Don are going to be the death of me, I swear."_ The pair chuckled. _"What was your logic for doing that exactly?"_

"I just couldn't bare the thought of him dying. He just couldn't cope with how everyone had treated him his whole life; he didn't deserve that fate. And I didn't need to see another kid killed in front of me." Charlie didn't comment, knowing his friend well enough to sense more was coming. "He had difficult reading and issues with spatial relations, but was probably the smartest kid in school. We know what that's like. He was video taped and humiliated on the school's social media page. His dad neglected him, his mom died when he was young. He just wanted to forget it all…I can relate that, Charlie."

Charlie nodded. _"Yeah, I could see how you could. But that doesn't make you him._ "

"I know. It just sucks. Why do these things keep happening to kids with bright minds?"

" _I wish I knew."_ This wasn't the first time that Charlie was grateful that as challenging as his youth had been, it wasn't anything as compared to Spencer's or others that he knew of had been. _"At least you can now use your memories for good, you saved his life because you got through to him."_

"I guess. Hotch said that too, that it made me good at the job. I just wish I could do more to prevent it in the first place."

" _Well, I'm trying with my book,"_ Charlie commented, joking, at least somewhat. _"You could always come to recruitment things for CalSci and show what the future could be like for brilliant young minds like us."_

Reid snorted. "Please no. The FBI keeps sending me to those things and I suck at them."

" _Oh really? You have numbers to support that?"_

Reid rolled his eyes as he smiled. So he may still have cravings, but talking about things was keeping them at bay. Whether it was at meetings, with the team, or with his favorite teacher.


	11. Scientific Integrity

"Scientific Integrity"

October 2008

* * *

Reid worked on gathering files at the California headquarters with JJ while Emily was notifying the family. Hotch had shot their unsub that was breaking into homes near the railways. Their team leader, along with Morgan and Rossi, were finishing up things at the scene and then the group would be off to the hotel. It was too late to bother flying back right away; the team would spend the night and then head back to Virginia in the morning.

He noticed JJ yawn and rub her belly. Emily's comment about baby geniuses the day before had thrown him off, partly because of how on point it was. Actually, he had been wondering about that date about two years prior and if that would be his child if things had gone better. He sighed, oh well. No point in living in the theoretical. He was happy for his friend. "JJ, way don't you and Emily head back to the hotel? I can get the rest of this and wait for the rest of the team to get back. You need your rest."

JJ smiled at him. "You sure, Spence? We can stay, it really shouldn't be that much longer." As she finished, another yawn escaped her lips.

Reid chuckled softly, "I think you just answered for me. Go, you both need your rest." He gestured at her stomach.

JJ nodded, "Yeah, he's calmed down a bit so now might be a good time for me to get some shut eye. Thanks. I'll go grab Em." She walked by him, gently squeezing his arm. "Night Spence."

"Night JJ." He sighed again as he watched her leave the room. He turned back to breaking down their room and sorting into piles for evidence. Even though they had killed the unsub, there was still some protocol to follow. He was just setting the last of it in the box when Hotch walked into the room.

"Hey Reid, where are Prentiss and JJ?" Reid noticed the file in Hotch's hands and raised an eyebrow. There was no way he had completed his report regarding the shooting already.

"JJ was tired, I sent them to the hotel. I knew breaking down the room wouldn't take me long so it didn't make sense for all of us to stay. Why, do we have another case already?"

Hotch shook his head. "Not exactly 'we.' I was called by the ADIC at the LA field office. He is in the process of evaluating a security clearance for a consultant who had it pulled a few months ago. They have an agent evaluating the case and talking with those involved, but they also wanted a profile of this individual to see if we actually think he is a security risk. They were going to pass this off to another team to review, but they noted a connection to you in his background check." He handed Reid the file. "The file arrived while I was out in the field."

Reid sent Hotch a confused look before opening the file. Then he quickly read the first page, his eyes widening as he processed the information. He looked back up at his superior. "They think Charlie is a security risk?" he asked, flabbergasted. "That's just ludicrous."

"So you do know him?"

Reid nodded, "Since I was twelve, during my first year of college." Reid started to read the rest of the report, growing more confused. "Why in the world didn't he tell me about this?" he asked to himself.

"So you are still in contact with him?"

Reid met his team leader's eyes, "Yeah, we talk from time to time." He didn't want to indulge just how often; he was allowed to still have some secrets from the team. The look on Hotch's face told him he needed to tell him a little bit more. "Remember the espionage case this same office broke last year?" Hotch nodded. "He was the friend I mentioned that knew the agent. He actually helped prove that Granger was a triple agent when he escaped from prison a few weeks after that. Charlie is by no means a risk to the agency, Hotch. He's an invaluable asset, actually."

Hotch nodded, processing the words. Reid's confidence had been slowly growing over the past year after he'd gotten over Gideon's abrupt departure. It may have actually been good in the long run for his youngest agent to transition from working with Gideon to Rossi. But, as confident as he was starting to become, he still had inflections in his voice that would often give him away if he were remotely unsure about something. Granted, this confidence could work against Hotch, like in Texas this past year, but his eyes gave away that he wasn't lying to him this time.

"Okay, I believe you. But the assistant director is going to need a more formal report than just your word. Can you review the file and write up a brief report for me to review and send off tomorrow morning? I'm sorry for the short notice, but evidently they have a case right now that they were hoping to utilize his skills for. They are expecting to get their internal agent's report in the morning as well and want to expedite the decision."

Reid nodded, "If I can use one of the computers here to type it up. Do you know if Garcia has gone home yet?"

Hotch shrugged, "Why?"

"Well the file mentioned the papers that were sent by Charlie and a colleague of his, but I'd like to review those myself to see if I agree with the bureau's findings." Reid pulled out his cell phone.

"Hey gorgeous grey matter, what can I do ya for? I was just about to head out. I thought you'd be at the hotel already. Or is that why you called? Can't sleep and needed me to tell you a naughty bedtime story?"

Hotch bit his lip to keep from laughing as the blush that covered Reid's face as he coughed, uncomfortable. He was probably wishing he hadn't put her on speaker right about now. "Garcia," Reid groaned. "Can you look up two scientific papers for me? They would be by Phil Sanjrani and Charles Eppes and it's regarding DNA synthesis modification to create disease and drought resistant crops."

"Ooookay. Is this something related to the case? Or can it be something that's waiting on your desk when get back?"

"Neither, Garcia," Hotch answered.

Reid took the conversation back over. "Can you get them emailed to me ASAP? Also, there likely a file containing the emails that were sent with additional information about these articles somewhere in the FBI database. Send those as well."

The men could hear frantic typing on the computer. "On it, sending your way in a jiff." She disconnected and Reid stuck his phone in his pocket.

"I'll get you a cup of coffee, Reid. Sorry for making you work on this so late." The pair stood so Reid could get to one of the field office's computers.

"It's okay, Hotch. I'm happy to help Charlie get his clearance back. He needs that in order to work on majority of CalSci's government research and not having him would set any of that research significantly back. I'm just surprised he didn't tell me about this himself."

Hotch shrugged, unable to comment on that. "I'll have one of the field agents take Rossi and Morgan back to the hotel and wait for you with the other SUV."

"It's okay, Hotch. You don't have to wait up for me."

"It wasn't up for debate, Reid. Besides, I have paperwork to do." The senior agent walked away as Reid settled in on a computer. He had just finished reading the file when Garcia called him to tell him the research was sent. Reid quickly printed out the pages upon pages of the two journal articles and the raw data that was emailed in order to make it easier to read. Hotch walked back over to him about 15 minutes later with a fresh cup of coffee.

"First off, this research is amazing. Sanjrani, with the help of Charlie, may have found a way to altered the DNA of crops in the Middle East, allowing them to withstand drought and common diseases more readily. Do you know what that means?"

Hotch nodded, taking a seat next to the desk. "It could help saving the thousands starving in that area. That's remarkable. Why did it land them in hot water with the FBI?"

"Well, here's the thing. If someone wanted to, and of course had the capabilities, they could eventually use this research to create a bioweapon. It's a risk to send it to potentially hostile nations. What got them in trouble is that Pakistan is a country that is considered restricted for sending the raw data to. However, unless you work for the government, you wouldn't even know that it was restricted."

Reid ran his hand through his hair. "Sanjrani sent his paper to help his home country to help his people, not to create a weapon. Charlie sent the second half to support that mission and the scientific community. That's the issue, Hotch. As an agent, I understand the FBI's concern with this research, but as a scientist…we can't contain this kind of research. The whole point of academic exploration is to share it with others across the globe in order to make new discoveries and improve our understanding of the universe. Sometimes things go wrong and research is used in evil ways, but we can't control that. Nor should we stop making innovations just out of fear of what it could be used for."

Hotch leaned back as his agent sudden burst of information. He should have been used to this, but he hadn't seen him this animated in a long time. He let the young man continue. "Einstein, right? Everyone knows E=mc2. It's probably the biggest mathematical discovery in history. Nearly 50 years after its discovery, it helped others find the basis to create nuclear energy, which has forever changed how we power things. But, it also created the atomic bomb. Does that mean that Einstein shouldn't have shared his brilliant mind – his discovery – with the world?"

"Of course not. That's just like saying musicians shouldn't make great music because people like Manson use them for their own vendetta."

"Exactly!" Reid exclaimed, as energized as if he had just consumed 5 cups of coffee. "Hotch, this whole thing is ridiculous. They used the colored lens of their supposed terrorist group and assumed Sanjrani was guilty. I'm not saying he didn't send data that was restricted, but he had no way of knowing that. They probably wouldn't have even found out if they hadn't already been looking into the group he was apart of."

"So your conclusion?"

"Charlie did what he did out of principle. I can't fault him for standing up for the scientific community and neither should the bureau. He's never done anything outside of this that would make me question his ability to protect government secrets. He should get his clearance back without question."

Hotch nodded, agreeing with Reid's assessment. "I agree. Write it up. I'm going to finish my report." He stood and patted Reid on the shoulder as he walked away.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

He knew he had made the right decision; he had no doubt in that. Seeing Phil still in FBI custody after he had proven to them that he wasn't connected to any terrorist activity had solidified his decision to send the second half of his research. It was valuable research, capable of helping people from starving to death in Pakistan and other areas with disease riddled crops. It wasn't right or logical for CalSci – the US government – to hoard that information.

He also knew that Don and him were never going to see eye to eye on this issue. They had two very different worldviews on the subject. He really couldn't figure out why he couldn't get Don to see his side of the issue, but he wasn't sure if it was worth the fight with him at this point.

What he hadn't predicted was how difficult it would be to get his clearance back. Or how weird it would feel to not be able to work on FBI cases but also on the classified projects at CalSci. He also hadn't been prepared for Agent McGowan to try to get him to turn on Don in order for him to get his clearance back. As much as he wanted it back, he was never going to throw his brother under the bus.

Now, here he stood holding those credentials. He could hardly believe it. He thought for sure that McGowan wasn't going to approve it, Don had suggested as much. He wondered what had changed the assistant director's mind. Don didn't voice his suspicions, but he suspected that Don thought Bloom had something to do with it.

He heard his phone ring as he was headed out of the elevator at the FBI office. "Charlie Eppes."

" _Congrats on getting your clearance back, man."_

"Thanks, Spe-" Charlie stopped mid sentence. How did he even know? "You did this?"

Reid chuckled; he enjoyed confusing Charlie. It didn't happen often. _"I can't take complete credit. You should just be grateful that the assistant director asked for your profile and my name popped up in your background check. You did the rest, I just wrote it down for them."_

"Wow, Spencer. Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me."

" _You're welcome. I just wish you had said something before it got this far. You may have some strings you can pull in LA or at some other agencies, but so do I. Or at least I know some people who could help me pulls some strings. Please remember that."_

Charlie smiled at his friend's concern. "You're right, I should have called you when Phil was still in custody after that first FBI report on his paper."

" _Exactly. I need to have a talk with whoever analyzed that work. I could see their concern, but it would take years of work, not to mention very specific resources that could be tracked, before anyone could use that research for terrorism. Remember what you told me, us nerds need to stick together."_ Reid grinned to himself when Charlie laughed.

"We sure do, don't we?"


	12. Parenting

A/N: The next few chapters are going to be a little lighter and shorter. Then we'll hit the case story. Thanks for the continued support everyone!

* * *

"Parenting"

November 2008

* * *

Reid woke up with a smile on his face for the first time in a long time. Something about holding that little baby boy in his hands last night, being trusted by his best friend to help guide her son's future, that warmed his heart. I couldn't believe he was a godfather! He didn't really know what that entailed but he was going to research it on his day off today so he was ready. He was sure he was going to be there for little Henry the best he could be, better than his father had been for him. He wandered out to his kitchen, getting a cup of coffee from his programmable coffee maker, a gift from Garcia that he was eternally grateful for. As he stirred in his sugar he thought back to what task JJ had given him. That made him smile once again. Speaking of his one phone call…

He glanced at his clock and was glad it was almost noon. It was not only rare for him to sleep in that late – granted he hadn't gotten much sleep the past week without a nightmare – but it also meant it wasn't too early to call.

" _Morning Spencer."_

"Good morning, Charlie."

Charlie smiled, _"You sound happy."_

"I'm a godfather."

Charlie blinked and laughed. _"Really? JJ named you godfather, huh? That's great!"_

Reid smiled, "Yeah. His name is Henry and he's amazing. He was born yesterday."

Charlie shook his head; he hadn't heard Spencer like this in a really long time. _"That's great."_ He was happy to hear him so cheerful. He had wondered how he was processing JJ having a baby with another guy. He had been hopeful a few years ago about their date, but when Spencer didn't talk about it much afterwards he had a feeling that it went in a similar fashion to his first date with Amita. They had been able to get past that, but apparently the BAU version of them did not. So he was glad to see that he was apparently content with just being a good friend of hers and now the godfather to her son.

"Yeah," Reid sighed happily. "I have a lot of research to do, but JJ said I needed to help get him into Yale."

Charlie scoffed. _"Yale?"_

Reid laughed. "That's what I said. I told him I could get him into CalSci with one phone call. So expect that call in 17 or so years, okay?"

Charlie laughed loudly. _"Okay, I'll put that in my calendar."_ Reid sighed as he took another sip of his coffee, his mind drifting back to the few days before. Charlie seemed to sense the shift. _"Anything else on your mind?"_ he asked, taking a sip of his coffee as he finally reached his office.

"I saw my father."

Charlie coughed on his coffee. _"Oh? How'd that go?"_ _That_ was not what he was expecting to hear.

"I don't really know. I got some answers about things, but it also raised more questions. I think his reason for staying away was pretty thin." Reid walked with his coffee to his couch.

Charlie pondered his next statement. Spencer was being awfully vague and he suspected there was a reason. He decided not to push on specifics for their interaction. _"Do you want to see him again?"_

Reid sighed. "No." A pause. "Maybe." Another pause. "I really don't know."

Charlie nodded at his confusion _. "Okay. Well, you certainly don't have to decide today."_

"This is true."

Charlie paused, debating again. _"Can I say something without you getting mad?"_

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

" _I know you don't have a relationship with him and you are still hurt about him leaving, which is completely understandable. Hopefully, your answers from this visit will help with that somewhat. I doubt it caused you to forgive him for all the years of him being away, but…"_

"But what, Charlie?" Spencer asked, curious. Not defensive or hurt, but genuinely curious.

" _I know you don't have a relationship with your dad like I have with my dad or did with my mom. Your mom is great, but I know that it's also different. I would hate for you to throw away a chance to maybe establish some sort of relationship with your father. I don't think it would hurt for you to try. If it doesn't seem to go anywhere after some time, at least you will have tried."_ He paused. _"What I do know, is that I would give anything to have more time with my mom, Spencer."_

Reid thought this over. He wasn't sure he was there yet, but he could concede Charlie's point. "I'll think about it."

" _Good. That's all I'm asking for."_ Charlie sent a quick, silent prayer for his mom to guide his friend.

"So, do you think Henry would like a chemistry set?" Reid asked, changing the topic back to a happier one. He would think about talking with his dad again but not right now.

The pair laughed, _"I think he might be a few years away from that…"_


	13. Magic

"Magic"

November 2008

* * *

Reid stared at the card in his hands, the lipstick kiss brightly standing out against the white card stock. He couldn't believe that using magic would have resulted in him getting a girl's number for once. He was sure that her real attraction was because he helped save her life – after he had put it in danger in the first place – just like with Lila, but he was still flattered. Somehow he didn't see something with Austin going anywhere, but he didn't mind talking with her. Maybe something could; it worked for JJ and Will. Ultimately, for him, what was really important was that he had successfully hit on a girl – and used magic to do it.

He remembered doing a few magic tricks as a kid, enjoying the thrill of making things disappear and reappear. If he were to profile it now, one might think it was a way for him to escape his everyday life, but he chose not to focus on that. As he got a little older, he expanded his portfolio of tricks, often finding some comfort in the smaller activities. He loved playing with the coin in his hand during finals. He found playing with the coin would often make him slow down and not speed through the test. Sure, his grade would have likely have been the same, but it made him feel a little more normal if he finished the test at a more reasonable time, even though still way ahead of the time allotment.

That made him smile, remembering some of the tricks he worked on in college. Really, there were too many to count. Nowadays, he mainly stuck to a few staples, but maybe he'd be able to show Henry some more when he got older. An apprentice - that would be fun!

The college memories also reminded him of something…

" _Hello."_

"Hey Charlie. What was your favorite magic trick of mine?"

Charlie groaned _. "I don't know, by the end I think I hated them all equally."_

"Aww, come on! It wasn't that bad," Reid teased back. Okay, maybe he hadn't gotten carried away at one point…

" _Oh it was. We actually had a case recently involving a failed trick and everyone kept asking me why I hated magic. You were one of the reasons that popped into my head,"_ Charlie joked in reply. _"For a while there, it seemed like every few weeks you were coming to my office with a new one. Knowing full well, too, that I was going to break down the principles behind it."_

"A case? Tell me about it!" Reid got excited, effectively ignoring Charlie's other comment as well.

Charlie chuckled at his friend's exuberance. _"Well it all started when David got unknowingly pulled into the act…"_


	14. Hacks

"Hacks"

January 2009

* * *

Reid flipped through his mail, grabbing a few scientific journals and the CalSci Quarterly Alumni Newspaper, and put them in his messenger bag to read later. He was then out the door, off to the BAU. These things would be quickly forgotten for the next several days as the team handled cases in Phoenix and then Orange County. It wasn't until the team was relaxing on the jet on the way back from California and he dug in his bag that he found them again. He settled on the alumni edition first. He made quick work of most of it, but paused on page seven. There was a large photo covering most of the top half of the page.

"Is that the Hollywood sign?" asked Rossi, making Reid jump slightly since he hadn't heard him come up behind him. Rossi leaned on the back of the empty chair that was next to Reid.

Reid looked up at his colleague. "Yep. My alma mater is known for pranks, or what we call hacks. This was the latest one; they used different lasers and lights to change the projection of the sign. Pretty cool, huh?"

Rossi took a sip of his scotch and nodded. "And they don't get arrested."

Reid scoffed. "They would have to get caught first, Dave. And besides, majority of the hacks are either on campus and directed toward each other, directed to the greater Los Angeles area but are harmless like this one, or directed at MIT and we have protocol for that to keep them safe." Reid smiled, a memory hitting him.

Rossi caught the look decided to slide into a seat across from the young man. "What did you do?"

Reid smirked, "I'm innocent, Rossi. I don't know what you're talking about." Rossi raised an eyebrow as he took another sip. "Okay, so it was 1998 and I was finishing up my engineering degree." Reid closed the paper, getting excited to share his story.

\+ - x / Flashback – Spring 1998 + - x /

Sixteen-year-old Spencer was headed into the math building. Over the past few years he had taken to studying in Charlie's office for an hour or two once or twice a week, even if the professor wasn't in there. This hadn't changed when his major had; in fact, he found the room an anchor for him. Charlie had become so much more than a teacher to him, he was a true friend. There was some comfort in being in his office to study. Charlie never minded, often coming from a lecture to see the teen packing up, getting ready to head to a class. When they would be in the room together, sometimes they hardly spoke, both focused on their individual work. Sometimes, they would discuss some exciting research. And sometimes they would just talk about a random topic. They had found a good comfort level in just being around each other.

He was still a bit of a loner, but had been friendly with some of the other students. He was more accepted at CalSci than he was in high school, but he was still a bit different from the rest. It was more common for the students to be a little younger than normal college kids here, but usually not as young as him. Still, at least he didn't feel like he needed to run and hide from everyone. He just wasn't the most social.

"So I think it's time to come up with another hack. Our class hasn't done one yet, we need to leave our mark."

Spencer paused in his trek to Charlie's office, overhearing a student talking with others in the lounge. He'd only seen one CalSci hack – prank – since starting classes, but he had always wanted to participate in one. He noted that it was Joe that spoke.

"Yeah, okay, but what? We need a brilliant plan if we want to leave a mark that people remember," Anna answered.

Spencer took a deep breath and a leap of faith. "You, uh, could reprogram the vending machines," he offered taking a step to the small group.

Sam tilted his head as the three turned to face him. "How do you mean, Spencer?"

He took a few more steps to them, his hands fiddling with his messenger bag strap. "So you…" As he went on to explain his plan, he watched as the three got more excited, their smiles growing. He couldn't help but smile too since he was glad they seemed to like his idea.

 _Five weeks later…_

Larry was in need for a quick snack. He headed over to the vending machine in the physics building to get some popcorn out – one of his favorite white foods. He knew the code by heart – B4. He deposited his dollar and punched the code. Only nothing happened. What the hell?

He stared at his popcorn bag, waiting for it to move. His eyes then finally registered that the tag didn't say B4 anymore. He squinted at the tag…was that part of the Schrödinger's equation? His eyes shifted to the keypad, noting it wasn't just numbers or basic letters anymore but Greek symbols were added. He stared at the equation again and then started to push several buttons, finishing the equation. With that, his popcorn fell. He also heard applause. Larry couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his lips as he bent down to get his snack.

He opened the bag and began to munch on the salty, crunchy snack as he made his way to out of the building and over to the math building. He stopped at Charlie's office, finding his friend sitting at his desk, grading papers. "You hungry, Charlie?"

Charlie looked up at his mentor and wrinkled his brow. "What?"

Larry gestured out the door, "Come on, let me buy you a little something to keep that brain of yours energized." Larry had a hunch it wasn't just his building.

Charlie set down the paper he was working on. He knew something was off, but would humor him. "Okay…" He stood and walked over to Larry and the pair went down a few different hallways. Soon they stood by some vending machines.

"Pick a snack," Larry suggested.

Charlie studied the machine, deciding on a treat. That was until his eyes shifted and looked down at the tags. "Is that…"

Larry looked over his shoulder, "The fundamental equation of calculus? Looks like it to me. Well, part of it anyway." He handed Charlie a dollar.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, depositing the money into the machine and finishing the equation on the altered keypad. Soon he was enjoying his candy bar to the sound of applause. Charlie laughed and looked at Larry. "That is one creative hack. I take it your building has one too?" Larry smiled.

Over the next few days there were more and more people talking about how they had to work to get their snacks from the machines all across campus. The equations matched the building they were in, with the ones in the student center having a mix of equations. If you entered the wrong answer, the machine laughed at you. If you were right, it applauded. It had the whole campus amused at the creativity. The president was thinking of keeping the machines that way, saying it helped keep the students sharp.

"I still want to know who came up with this," Charlie commented to Larry. Spencer was quietly studying in the corner. He couldn't stop the smirk that crept across his face. He had been enjoying greatly the discussion around campus. The group was planning on going public soon. He had the idea and created the equations for each building. Anna helped create the labels. Sam, Joe and himself worked on the engineering part for the machine. He did give Sam credit for the sound effect ideas.

"Who ever it was, they were quite ingenious," Larry agreed.

Spencer couldn't stop the snort that came from his lips. That got the other two to turn and look at him. He glanced up at their attention and then quickly went back to his textbook, the smile unable to leave his face. Charlie studied his mentee.

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Spencer looked up and shrugged. "Well, not _just_ me…"

\+ - x / End Flashback + - x /

"So it wasn't until the machines broke down from general wear and tear that they took them down. It was just a couple years ago," Reid smirked.

Rossi shook his head and chuckled. This kid never ceased to amaze him. What did intrigue him is that he did the prank – no hack – for the fun of it and not for the glory or infamy on campus. He just liked the challenge. Sounded just about right to Rossi.

"You're something else, Reid," Rossi smiled. Reid smiled back.

"Thanks." He looked back at the forgotten newsletter. "So it looks like the most recent hack was for LA at large, converting the Hollywood sign to CalSci." He looked at the photo again. "I wonder who was behind this one…"

Soon the group was on the ground and headed to their cars. Reid dug out his cell phone as he climb in his old beat up car.

" _Hey Spencer, what's up?"_

"So who pulled the hack on the sign?" Reid asked.

Charlie laughed, _"I plead the fifth."_

\+ - x /+ - x /+ - x /+ - x /

A/N: So, something fun to do is actually read up on the hacks that Caltech has done over the years; they are quite amusing. This is a variation of one that actually took place in 1998. I just changed it up a bit in a way I thought Reid would since he seems to be a little more subtle about things. The Hollywood sign in Numb3rs is a variation of one they've actually done too. And if you've ever seen "Real Genius" you might see some similarities if you read up on the actual ones too!


	15. Top Five

A/N: I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the last few chapters, particularly Reid's hack. That was a lot of fun to write! :) For this one, I did only minimal research for this so I will admit most of this is based on what is discussed in the Numb3rs episode itself. One more short one besides this and then the case fic!

* * *

"Top Five"

March 2009

* * *

Charlie sat in his the garage, thinking. Would he really be better off solely dedicating himself his cognitive emergence theory? What could unlimited funds supply him for the research?

The fact that Larry was so against DARPA and Jane Karellen was something to consider. Although, if he was honest, Larry was a particular type of personality so he could see some not getting along with him if they had certain personalities. Larry was also a pacifist, so the thought that he worked for the Department of Defense at one time was an interesting discovery. Perhaps she just pushed him into confirming his pacifist lifestyle? Either way, it was something that made him pause.

It was also interesting that Don didn't seem to care for her. He wasn't as vocal about it as Larry, but still seemed hesitant for Charlie to take the offer.

Still, there was something appealing and he couldn't seem to make up his mind. The idea of diving full time into his work… He loved his FBI work, this past year had taught him that, but…

His gaze shifted to one the chalkboards with some of his cognitive work on it. He had mostly been working on it at school for the past few years. This particular board was tucked behind some others so he could tell it must have been one of his moments of extreme clarity when he covered all the boards with equations. He squinted at the half covered math, trying to remember the last time he'd stared at that part of his work – at least on the board since he had transferred everything to his laptop. After a moment, it connected. When Spencer had visited.

Hmm.

Charlie dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed.

Reid was just getting into his apartment. He set his messenger bag down on his leather chair before walking into his bedroom with his go bag. They had just returned from Dallas so he needed to switch out his packed clothes. He was also expecting a call when his phone rang.

" _Hey Austin."_

Charlie blinked. "Who's Austin?"

Reid paused from opening his bag. _"Charlie?"_

"Certainly not Austin," Charlie chuckled. "Who is…she?"

Reid coughed, _"Well, she's, um."_ Reid paused and opened his bag, starting to pull out his clothes. _"What can I do for you?"_

Charlie chuckled again. "If I didn't have a serious question to ask you, I would grill you about that further."

That got Reid's attention. _"What's up?"_

"What's your opinion on DARPA?"

Reid paused by his hamper. _"The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency that's with the Department of Defense?"_

"Is there another one?"

Reid chuckled, _"Okay, easy on the sarcasm, Teach."_ Charlie laughed. _"They make you an offer?"_

"Yep. They called me one of the top five minds in the world. Thoughts?"

Reid squinted, thinking. He sensed that Charlie was holding something back. He decided to hold off on commenting on the 'top five' comment. _"Well, in terms of resources for a researcher, they are unparalleled. Unlimited funds for five years are pretty unheard of now."_

"True."

" _But, you have to remember who you'd be working for."_ This statement gave Reid pause since he _was_ a government employee. But he also wasn't doing potentially ground breaking research at the moment. _"I believe your research becomes DoD's property when you're done. I'm assuming they want you to come work on your cognitive emergence theory. What interest do you think DoD has in knowing how the brain works?"_

Charlie nodded. "Valid point. Larry commented on that too. Apparently he worked with them a long time ago and they used his work on a telescope for the Star Wars project. To say he wasn't pleased was putting it mildly."

Reid sat on his bed, his bag now empty. _"Larry at the DoD…I can't see it."_

"And apparently had a romantic relationship the woman that runs it," Charlie added, rubbing his eyes with his hand. He was still trying to shake that 'fantastic lover' comment out his head.

Reid shook his head, _"Okay then."_ Changing tactics, Reid started again. _"What are you thinking?"_

Charlie sighed, "I don't know. It's appealing; I can't lie. But, I agree with your thoughts. I guess I just can't shake this feeling that I should walk away. But that isn't usually how I make decisions."

Reid nodded. _"I know you're looking for a logical answer, Charlie, but there is something to be said for following your instincts. Just like how you seem to know what the math is going to find before you follow the path of your equations as you work them out, follow your gut. It worked for you with the whole mess with Colby."_

Charlie nodded to himself. "Thanks, Spencer." Charlie made up his mind and made note to call Larry and Don once they hung up.

" _No problem."_

"Now about this girl you were expecting to call…"

Reid groaned. _"Charlie…"_


	16. Odds

"Odds"

April 2009

* * *

Amita studied her boyfriend as he watched television, finally relaxing after a crazy day at CalSci now that she was back from her tennis match. She was just grateful they were able to save Professors Shara and Ludlow. She ran her hands through his curly hair, watching as he closed his eyes briefly and sighed happily.

There was still something about the day that she felt like she needed to talk to him about, but he seemed at peace and she wasn't sure if she should. Liz had mentioned to her after the tennis match that Charlie seemed to know fair amount about schizophrenia. She herself had noted his comments about 'losing a mind like this to mental illness' when they were looking over Skinner's schoolwork. She got so lost in her thoughts that her gaze didn't register that he was now looking at her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

She blinked. "Hmm?"

Charlie furrowed his brow. "Amita?"

She sighed, "I was just thinking about something Liz mentioned to me. About what you said today regarding math and schizophrenia."

Charlie frowned but nodded. "What about it?"

"How did you know that? Are you concerned about yourself?"

Charlie shook his head, "No Amita, no. But it _is_ known in our field. The most brilliant example would obviously be John Nash." Amita propped her arm up on the back of the couch, expecting him to continue. Charlie mimicked her pose. "I had a student once, a few years after I started teaching, that started to act a little strange. Another student identified the signs early on and warned the dean and myself. That allowed us to get ahold of his parents and get him treatment before it progressed too far."

"Wow," Amita commented. "Was he okay?"

"Well, it's a life long condition, but last I had heard, he was stable on medications and living a good, healthy life. So, yeah, I would say okay."

Amita reached out and took Charlie's hand. "I feel like there is more to this story."

Charlie smiled softly. "The student that caught the signs. He knew them because he memorized them for himself. His mother has schizophrenia." He squeezed her hand, thinking of his good friend and that day. He would never forget it.

"What is it, Charlie?"

"When he was eighteen, he was finally old enough to make a hard decision on her behalf because she wasn't taking care of herself. He had her committed to get her the help she needed. But, it was very difficult on him and their relationship. I remember, vividly, when he returned to campus after that." Spencer had been shaken, but wouldn't tell Charlie exactly what happened. He could just surmise that it hadn't gone well at all. He suspected his friend felt guilt over a difficult but necessary decision. It took Spencer over a month before he settled back into what was a normal routine for him.

"Are they okay now?"

Charlie nodded, "As far as I know, yes. I know he tries to visit her whenever he's in town and they exchange letters regularly."

Amita paused for a moment. "Is he okay?"

"So far. He's only 27, so he's not out of the window. But he's odds of developing it get statistically smaller with every day."

Amita sensed that this student meant something to Charlie. She wished she could make him feel better about the situation, but this wasn't one of those things that could go away with a hug or a kiss. Not that it would hurt. She closed the gap between them and hugged her boyfriend. "Well, here's hoping the odds are in his favor."

Charlie smiled and kissed her cheek, "Thanks."

* * *

 **A/N: Next up, case fic! It will be several chapters and each will be a little longer. It probably could stand alone, but I wanted to keep it all together in this world I've created. Hope you're ready!**


	17. Lending a Hand, Part 1

A/N: Well I can see the last two weren't the favorites, oh well. Hope everyone is now ready for a Case fic! While reviewing Numb3rs and the LA episodes of Criminal Minds, this seemed the most fitting to get the geniuses together. I may create my own case later on (when Charlie would be back from London), but this will do for now. Watching "Disturbed," (5x21) I noted ways they could have sped up and/or altered the flow of information if they had a few extra skill sets involved (Reid/Garcia in particular). This is my take on how that could have gone. It could probably stand alone but I wanted to keep it easily in this universe. The chapter ran away from me, so I've broken it down into five parts, each is still much longer than my normal chapter length. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Lending a Hand, Part One"

May 2009

* * *

Amita watched as Charlie continued to pull more files from the printer, read them quickly, and add another point to his map, jotting down whatever data he had just uncovered. She frowned, unsure of what to do. David and Colby were in there now, but she knew they were skeptical of whatever Charlie had found. And she wasn't entirely sure she could blame them. The last time she'd seen him like this was during his second case with Don when things went array and he retreated into his P vs nP spiral. She hadn't been able to help him then. Now, she was determined to at least find a way to help, even if it meant diving in his theory about a previously undetected serial killer with a little bit of faith. She just wasn't sure how to go about it.

"He's found more data?" Larry asked, startling her out of her thoughts. She looked at her friend and colleague with a grimace.

"Apparently," she replied. "I know he was shaken up by Don's stabbing, Larry, but do you really think he might be on to something? David and Colby seem skeptical."

Larry leaned against the other wall of the cubical as they watched from the hallway of the FBI offices. "Well, Charles' mind has always been able to see things that others couldn't, at least not right away. So if history is any indication, then he might just be. But, this could also just be a therapeutic exercise." He turned and looked at her, the concern written on her face. He imagined his face mirrored it. "So, I'm thinking it doesn't hurt to maybe call in some reinforcements."

Amita raised an eyebrow, "Who? Don is still on leave and I don't think even him or Alan can get through to Charlie right now."

Larry pulled out his phone, grateful that he had stolen a particular number out of Charlie's phone awhile back. "I would agree. No, this is someone that has a mind that works similar to Charlie's but comes with the added bonus of serial killer expertise."

Amita studied Larry, confused. Who in the world was he talking about?

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid opened the next file from the pile, working on his fourth consult of the day. At least the good day of paperwork would distract him from the fact that he failed at catching the signs to save Adam in time. Well, so far at least. He had only just begun to work with Amanda. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Morgan was right. _You're going have to accept the fact that sometimes we can't save everyone._ He hated that fact and was having a hard time conceding it.

Shaking his head of those thoughts, he looked at his empty cup. He needed some more coffee. Stretching, he grabbed his empty cup and headed to the break area for some of the black sludge the office called coffee. As he poured the sugar into his cup, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Stir stick in one hand, he pulled the phone out with the other and wrinkled his brow at the number. He could tell it was from the LA area, but it wasn't one he had programed in before.

"Dr. Spencer Reid."

" _Spencer, its Larry Fleinhardt."_

Reid raised an eyebrow, not sure if this was just a friendly call or not. Sure, he and Larry got along great, but they never talked on the phone. Hell, he was pretty sure Larry didn't even have a cell phone until his NASA mission. "Hey, Larry, how's it going?"

Larry sighed, _"Well I'm afraid Charlie has fallen down a figurative black hole of crime fighting."_

Reid took a sip of his coffee, heading back to his desk. "I would have assumed it was figurative, Larry," he joked, not sure how to take this conversation.

" _I suppose that's a valid point, Dr. Reid."_ Larry paused _, "I don't know if he told you about Don's stabbing…"_

"No." That got his attention. Okay, definitely not a social call.

" _He's fine, he's recuperating, but it was touch and go for a bit. It seems to have sent Charlie over the edge and now he thinks he's uncovered a serial killer. The FBI isn't so sure, however they are humoring him for now with letting him use some of their space. But…"_

Reid nodded, sensing where this was going. "But you figured it may be nice if a profiler fluent in serial cases could take a look over it as well?"

" _Correct."_

"I'd be happy to, Larry. Just ask the agent in charge to send me the files."

Larry sighed, _"Yeah, the thing about that is there may be too many to send you. He has a lot of data, Spencer."_

Reid's eyes widened. "How many victims are we talking?"

Larry exchanged a glance with Amita, who had been looking on with curiosity. _"I think he was up to around two dozen."_

Reid sat upright, flashes of Frank, BTK, and others coming to his mind. "Larry, hold on a second, okay?" Larry agreed as the young profiler went to Hotch's office. He opened the door after he heard his knock being acknowledged.

"What can I do for you Reid?" Hotch immediately noticed the concerned look on his agent's face and the cell phone in his hand, the mouthpiece covered.

"Hotch, you remember my friend Charlie, the consultant for the LA office?"

Hotch nodded, "Sure."

"He thinks he's uncovered a serial killer in California."

Hotch raised an eyebrow, "Thinks? How?"

Reid shook his head, "I don't know the specifics yet. His brother Don, it's his team that he works with, was hurt recently."

"Hyper vigilance?" Hotch questioned.

Reid shrugged. "It could be, I don't know for sure. But, Hotch, he claimed to have over twenty victims."

Hotch studied Reid. "I can't authorize the team-"

"I know. But, do you think I could take a few days? Unofficially review the information – as a friend – and if I think there is a solid case to work of off, we can work on the official invite afterwards? I don't think the team would mind, I'm pretty sure they hadn't had a profiler available since Megan Reeves left."

That name caught Hotch's attention. He remembered Reeves, had been one of the people that she talked to awhile back she was visiting Quantico and thinking about resigning. Clearly, she must have decided to do that. He knew how good the people were on her team and was sure they wouldn't mind Reid offering some help. Particularly if it was just to help his friend cope with his brother's attack. Hotch nodded, "Okay. Distribute the rest of your consults between Morgan and Prentiss and see if Garcia can help you arrange a flight. I'm giving your three days unless it turns into something or we get called to an urgent case."

Reid smiled, "Thanks Hotch." He removed his hand from his phone, "Larry are you still there? Good. I'm on my way. Don't tell Charlie I'm coming, okay? He'll just get angry with both of us." Hotch watched as Reid left his office, and shook his head. He wasn't sure if he wanted the young man's friend to be right or wrong.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Nikki headed back to her cubicle with a fresh cup of coffee even though it was only ten in the morning. More paperwork to finish, oh joy. She was a woman of action, it was one of the reasons she had moved to the FBI from LAPD in the first place. With Don on medical leave, she did suppose it made sense for the team to have a little bit of a break, but she was ready to do something. Taking a sip, her eyes glanced as the elevator doors opened. Out walked a tall, thin, young guy whose attire made him look like he should be hanging out with Charlie and Larry, not walking into the FBI with a gun on his hip. She noticed he was headed over to their workstation. Well, maybe the day just got a little more interesting. She kept walking towards her cubicle knowing their paths were going to cross.

"Hi, can I help you?" she asked. She studied him, trying to decide on why he would be here and if he was really an agent of some kind.

"Um, hi. I'm hoping you can, I'm looking for an Agent Sinclair?" he asked, fiddling with the messenger bag strap over his shoulder. She noted the packed luggage bag in his other hand.

"And you would be?"

"Oh right, sorry. I suppose you would be skeptical as to why a stranger would just be walking in here…" he rambled as he pulled out his ID. So he was an agent, huh. "Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm with the BAU in Quantico."

"What brings a profiler up here? We don't have an active case going on." The pair turned to see Colby standing there with a file in his hand. He stuck out his hand. "Agent Granger, by the way." Reid shook it quickly.

"Nice to meet you," Reid smiled nervously. So this was the agent that played spy for two years. "And I'm technically on vacation." That got even more confused looks. "Uh, if I can talk with Agent Sinclair, I'll explain it to the group."

Colby nodded and turned his head. "Yo David, Liz!" Might as well get everyone. The pair looked up at him and he nodded towards the conference room. "We've got a visitor." He started towards the room himself and the other two followed. Soon the five were standing in the glass-incased room and Reid was suddenly wishing he had some of the team with him. He wasn't used to being solo. They all eyed him, waiting for an explanation.

"As I told Agent Granger…"

"Colby is fine."

Reid nodded, "Okay, as I told Colby and…"

"Nikki Bentancourt." The group looked at her. "What? We hadn't gotten that far yet," she shrugged. Colby shook his head, smirking. Newbie was still always so distrustful.

David laughed softly, "David Sinclair and this is Liz Warner." Liz smiled at the man before her, intrigued. He wasn't exactly her type, but he was cute nonetheless.

Reid nodded back. "Okay. So I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm with the Behavior Analysis Unit." He showed them his badge again as he set his go bag down on the floor. As he did, he noted the map in the corner and sent a silent prayer of thanks that Charlie had left it up. "Before you ask, I'm not here in official capacity, at least not yet." He stepped back and waved his hand at the map. "I'm here because of this. Or should I say more specifically, I'm here for our mutual friend."

That put them all on high alert, but it was David that spoke. "How do you know Charlie? Did he call you in?" He turned to the others, "Since when has Charlie known someone at the BAU?" They all shrugged and turned back to their guest.

"Well, you may have noticed I said Doctor in my introduction." The group nodded, Liz to catch on first.

"You're an academic? How did you become an agent?"

"That's a long story." Reid paused, remembering his discovery from his childhood not long ago. He was now sure that Riley Jenkins death is what caused his interest in crime solving and perhaps why he didn't pursue a more normal application of his abilities, particularly after meeting Gideon. "Charlie was one of my professors while at CalSci, we're still good friends and talk regularly. I've been with the BAU for over five years. But, he's not the one that called. Larry Fleinhardt did. He told me a little about what Charlie's been working on…and the events prior to this project." He let that sink in, conveying that he knew about Don.

"And he thought you could help how?" asked Nikki.

"Well, for one, I can apply a psychological profile to this killer." He raised his hand when Colby was about to object. "If there is one. I need to review the data before I can draw any conclusions. I very well know that this may be nothing, but I also know Charlie and I understand how his brain works, better than most. Please just let me help him. If there actually is something here, then I can help you out too."

The group thought it over for a second, David taking the lead. "Okay. What do you need?"

Reid pulled his messenger bag off his shoulder, setting it down on one of the glass the tables. "For starters don't tell Charlie I'm here yet. Let me handle that. I'd rather have a handle on things before he tells me his theory so mine remains unbiased." The group nodded. "Next, I need the paperwork on the cases he's connected. As much as you can give me – crime scene reports, ME reports – for each one."

"That's a mountain of paperwork…" Liz paused, trying to decide on what to call him.

"Reid," he supplied. "My team usually calls me by my last name. But, Spencer is fine too if you want."

Liz nodded, "Reid. Won't that take you forever?"

"Not for Spencer." The group turned to see Larry at the doorway. Reid's face broke out in a smile.

"Larry, hey!" The pair shared a brief hug. "It's good to see you. When this is over, you have to tell me about your space mission."

Larry smiled, scratching the back of his head after they separated. "Sure, sure." Spencer squinted at Larry, remembering one of his conversations with Charlie about Larry's return. He decided not to push; he had bigger things issues right now. Larry turned back to the other agents. "Spencer here can read 20,000 words per minute so it shouldn't take him too long to get through the paperwork." The agents looked at Reid in disbelief and he shrugged. "We should get a move on though. Charlie will be done teaching class around one and I suspect he's going to be coming back here afterwards."

David shook off his stunned look first. "Right. Reid, here is the paperwork that Charlie showed Colby and I yesterday. You can start there. We can split the list and pull up the files for you and project them on the screen as we get them."

"Actually, I know it's going to be a lot of paper, but I really do better if it's a hard copy. If that's not too much trouble, that is." Reid asked.

David shrugged. "Alright, we'll print them and hand them to you as we get them done. Oldest case first?" Reid nodded. "Okay, guys, let's get him the files and then get back to our other work. I don't need the director questioning me as to why we we're spending resources on a case we don't really have. Anything else you need?"

Reid smiled. "Just point me towards the coffee." Larry laughed, remembering Reid's need for the caffeinated beverage.

"I'll take care of that."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Colby watched in awe as the young man with the long, messy hair quickly flipped from page to page, jotting down notes along the way. How in the world is he reading that fast? Larry had left him alone with the paperwork about an hour ago once they had finished printing everything – well over 60 folders worth of reports – and getting it in chronological order. It seemed to take them longer to print everything than it did for this guy to read it. He noticed Reid set down the last of his files and stand to stretch, just as David came around the corner with Charlie. The mathematician had beaten Nikki to the scene of a dead postal carrier, found behind a dumpster. She was still at the scene, but had forced Charlie to go back to the office.

"Look, David, I know the pattern isn't perfect. There are microclusters that are currently anomalous. But the overall pattern is extraordinarily regular, which is indicative—"

"How many are in a microcluster?"

Charlie sighed, "Two mostly, sometimes three."

"Those are very micro…"

"There are outliers, David. The macro pattern is persistent, statistically valid."

David nodded. He looked over the shoulder of his friend, catching the eye of the other young man in the office. Reid nodded at him, might as well tell him now. "I believe you, Charlie. But I can't use resources right now. If I tried to take people off of confirmed crimes to chase a theory that only has a timeline pattern found by a mathematician, I'd get fired." Charlie opened his mouth to object. "But, I've got someone helping off the clock."

Charlie wrinkled his brow, "Who? Don needs his rest." David put a hand on Charlie's shoulder, turning him to the conference room and moving him towards the door. Charlie blinked as he registered the figure in the room, who gave him a slight wave and smile. He picked up the pace and entered the room. "Spencer? What are you doing here?"

"Helping. Figured you could use someone with a serial killer database in their brain if you want to catch one," Reid offered. He obviously held back on the fact that he was also profiling his friend to make sure he was okay.

Charlie smiled and quickly hugged his friend. "You believe me?" he asked as they parted.

Reid sighed and Charlie's smile fell. "It's too soon for me to say one way or another, Charlie. I need you to show me your equation, you hadn't left that behind for me to analyze. But I've known you way too long to dismiss this either, so I've been working on reviewing your data." He waved his hand at the piles of files on the table.

Charlie looked around and nodded. He could accept that for now. "I was just telling David that aside from a few microclusters, the macro pattern is statistically valid."

David jumped into the conversation. "But everything is different, Charlie. Your victim types, the cause of deaths…"

Charlie opened his mouth to object, but Reid beat him to it. "That may be on purpose." The rest, now including Colby and Liz, turned to him. "Some of the key aspects that my team looks at is the victimology and the MO. Both give us insight into why the killer is doing exactly what they are doing. There is usually something has set them off – the victims hair color that reminds them of someone in their lives, their profession that angers them, their need to feel the victim die in their hands if they strangle them for the excitement factor – that causes a pattern and helps us catch them. But there are some that change methodology just to avoid detection. Donald Harvey used poison, suffocation, and stabbing as ways to kill his victims, for example. "

"Exactly!" Charlie exclaimed. "He's counting on us to find that pattern so he changes his behavior – the MO, the victim type, and the weapon – to avoid detection. No repetitive behavior means no pattern and thus no reason to use resources to find one."

"Okay, so what do you need from me?" David asked, still unsure about all of this.

"Remember the SETI telescopes?" Charlie asked. David nodded, confused.

"We need more data," Reid supplied. Charlie turned and smiled; happy his friend knew where his train of thought was. Liz and Colby shared a look at that. "If I were to guess, I would suspect that LA isn't the only place this guy has been, if we have an unsub, that is. Do you have any other resources with more information? I think this is still too broad for me to ask Garcia to help on."

"Your technical analyst?" Charlie asked.

Reid nodded. "We still have way too many parameters for her to try to find other cases. Although, if show me your equation…"

"Right!" Charlie answered, energized by his friend's help.

"The best I can give you is some amateur data. It's surprisingly comprehensive." David grabbed a scrap piece of paper and wrote down his contact. Reid snatched it from him before Charlie could and noticed the annoyance of the curly haired man.

"Let's go." He stated, anxious.

Reid shook his head and stared at Charlie a second. "When is the last time you ate?"

Charlie shrugged, "I had a banana this morning." Reid looked at his watch – 3 PM – and then back at Charlie. He was hungry and he had eaten a snack earlier. "I'm fine." He knew how he could get with being so focused he'd forget to eat and sometimes Charlie was worse.

"You need to nourish your body or your brain won't get the proper glucose supply it needs to keep up. We're getting lunch and you're telling me about the equation. Then we will call," he looked down at the paper. "Roy McGill."

"But-"

Reid shook his head. "Don't try me, Professor." Charlie sighed, relenting. After Spencer got over the idea of calling him Charlie, at least when they were talking in private, he only ever called him Professor when he was upset or deadly serious.

"Fine. Let me grab my laptop so I can show you the equation." Charlie turned to get what he needed.

Colby couldn't resist, chiming in on the conversation now, "Wait, you're just going to show it to him? He doesn't get an analogy to explain the equation?"

Despite himself, Charlie chuckled. "He doesn't need it." The other agents turned to Reid.

"One of my PhDs is in mathematics."

"One?"

Charlie laughed; not realizing how grateful his brain was for a slight distraction. "He has three and two bachelors in arts."

Reid grabbed his messenger and go bags, ready for them to escape so he could escape the attention. "Finishing up the third one too." He pulled out a business card and handed it to Liz, who was closest. "Here's my cell if you can't reach me with Charlie, just in case." He turned to Charlie. "Let's get your neurons some energy. I don't need Larry, Alan or Don coming after me for letting you pass out. Granted, I could probably take the first two." Charlie grinned as the pair made their way out of the room and towards the elevators.

The three agents remaining all looked at each other. "There's two of them?" Liz asked the pair of male agents. David chuckled as Colby shook his head. The group dispersed back to their desks and to the other work they had waiting for them, each pondering what the two geniuses would figure out together.


	18. Lending a Hand, Part 2

"Lending a Hand, Part Two"

* * *

Reid watched Charlie as he ate his sandwich. He was glad he had managed to convince him to sit down and eat, even if the reason was to review the equation. By the fact that it was mostly gone after just a few minutes proved to him that Charlie was hungrier than he had wanted to admit, or even register in his thoughts. He took another bite of his as Charlie finished and wiped his hands so he could show him the expression on the screen.

"See, if you watch the timeline, there is a clear pattern to the cases," Charlie stated, adding the data to the equation and letting it auto populate on the map on the screen. Reid studied the expression, finding no flaws in his math. He shouldn't have expected any, he supposed.

"I see you the microclusters you mentioned with concern," Reid murmured. "Including the postal worker from today."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I can't explain those yet. But the macro pattern _is_ valid…right?"

Reid met his friend's eyes. He could count on maybe one hand the number of instances where Charlie questioned his math. Sometimes he'd find an issue because he was missing part of the puzzle, but rarely actually questioned the calculation itself. "It appears to be, Charlie. I don't see any errors." He paused, letting that reassurance settle in. "Hopefully, we'll find more data to help."

Charlie smiled at the support. "Yeah."

Reid took another bite, letting silence fill between them while he chewed and swallowed. "How's Don?"

A sigh escaped Charlie and he took a sip of his soda. "Larry told you? Is he the one that called you?"

Reid nodded. "He's concerned; I think everyone around you is, Charlie." Charlie groaned and leaned back. "But that doesn't mean you aren't on to something. It just means you still need to take care of yourself while you work on this. After we go see this McGill character, I want you to get some rest. Believe me when I say I know what it's like to run around without enough sleep." Visions of Adam, Owen, Nathan, and Tobias flashed before his eyes – some of people that kept him up at night.

Charlie nodded, knowing it was the truth. He studied his friend. "How are you doing Spencer?"

Reid shook his head, again burying his thoughts. "I'm fine." Charlie tilted his head, sending a disbelieving look to the younger man. "I'm not here for me Charlie. We can talk after we're done."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"Good afternoon," Charlie greeted as the pair met a particularly interesting character by a chain-linked fence surrounding a storage unit.

"Professor, Dr. Reid!" he greeted, bumbling to open the lock. "Roy McGill, it's such a pleasure!" He finally unlocked the fencing, tossing the lock back at Reid, "If you wouldn't mind locking up behind you."

Reid raised an eyebrow, wondering if Sinclair had been sincere about this lead or not. Roy didn't seem to notice as he working on the other lock. "Don't mind the décor, the nature of my work requires enhanced level of security." He opened the door to reveal a bunker of sorts; shelves with papers upon papers stacked up and a computer set up in the middle. "Welcome to the Truth Cave!"

As the group walked in, Reid couldn't help but compare some of the mess to what Tobias' house looked like through the windows and what he imagined Garcia's batcave could become if she went a little unhinged. Granted, hers would just be more filled with odd trinkets than stacks of paper. He decided to focus on the Garcia thought and not the other. "Interesting set up you've got here," he stated.

"Thanks." He picked up an open bag of chips, "You guys hungry?"

"We just ate," Charlie supplied, exchanging a look with Reid. _Is this dude for real?_ Reid shrugged in response to the silent question.

"Oh, you guys have to check this out," he ran to his computer and started up a video. "Do you know what this is?" They stared back at him, "Of course you don't. It's a sound recording of a UFO from a Russian friend of mine, Code name Tigawoods, you know like the golfer? It's so cool; he's going to show it on his TV show tonight."

Charlie went to rest his hand on a computer tower only have something sticky end up on his hand. His eyes widened, but he said nothing. Reid bit his lip to keep from laughing and started to dig in his messenger bag. Charlie turned to Roy, "That's great. Look we're here for-"

"A serial killer! Of course I know, I have ESP," Roy joked. He was completely oblivious to the fact that Reid pulled out an alcohol wipe from his bag and handed it to a very grateful Charlie. He may have hugged some of his oldest friends and shook more hands than normal, but that didn't stop him from being prepared for situations like now. He made a note to try to not to touch anything in this place. Roy, still laughing to himself, added, "No, I'm totally messing with you. Agent Sinclair called ahead. God, this is so freaking awesome, I always knew I'd team up with you Professor!"

Charlie sighed, worried this was going nowhere. "We're really just here for some data…"

Roy continued to talk over them, "I'm surprised it took the FBI this long to work with me, I only have the sixth most famous blog on serial killers." Reid made note of this for later, maybe a project for Garcia. He was beginning to think Roy likely landed on the spectrum of ADD to ADHD. Roy jumped up out of his chair and handed Charlie a file. "I found two more that fit into your timeline thingy that Sinclair explained on the phone." Charlie looked over the news clippings, Reid glancing at them over his shoulder.

"We were really hoping for more data than this," Reid supplied.

"Not a problem, not a problem," Roy answered, bopping Charlie's nose with his finger before walking past the pair of scientists. Reid couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped that time.

"Where are you going?" asked Charlie, ignoring Reid.

"Serial Killer Data Central," Roy answered, gesturing for them to follow. They exchanged a glance and shrugged, knowing they didn't have much else to work on right now.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"Gene Evans," an older gentleman greeted the group, shaking Charlie's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Professor Eppes." He turned to Reid, who nodded and waved, keeping his hands on his messenger bag strap. "Dr. Reid. I can't believe I have a real live profiler and a world famous mathematician in my home." The pair smiled at him.

"You guys should have some crazy math handshake," Roy joked to Charlie and Gene. "Gene's an accountant."

Gene shook his head, "Retired and I hardly think tabulating taxes counts as math in a way that Professor Eppes or even Dr. Reid knows it."

Roy took a seat, "Gene is part of a network of amateurs that help with police investigations."

Gene shrugged. "The number of missing persons and unsolved murders can overwhelm most agencies so we do what we can. There are hundreds of us around the country and we gather and tabulate data as much as we can." He gestured to some of the newspaper articles hanging on the wall. Reid noted the Zodiac Killer among others.

Reid nodded, "Admirable hobby." He made another note of something for Garcia to look into more. Maybe they could help connect cases from time to time for the smaller police stations they get called to.

"Gene has helped solve four missing person cases in California and a murder case in Oregon," Roy boasted.

"More like distantly helped to tell you the truth," Gene shrugged. "But I stopped a couple of years ago after I got a bunch of phone calls. Probably just crank calls but it spooked the wife." He paused and then headed to his desk. "Anyway, when Roy described your theory, Professor Eppes, these cases came to mind." He handed the file to Reid, who opened it to allow Charlie to look at it at the same time.

"These aren't in LA, but actually up near Fresno/Bakersfield area and are from several years ago," Charlie commented.

"Yes, but the time patterns and knowledge of the victim's routines are very similar." The pair continued through the documents, "And then there's that."

"A constrictor knot," Reid murmured, studying the photos. He looked up at Roy and Charlie to his side. "It's a simple, secure knot that once you get it tied, it's very difficult to undo and struggling against it will usually make it tighten."

Gene nodded, "It was used in five the case you're looking into."

"Freaky!" added Roy.

Charlie looked at Reid and then back at Gene. "Did you show this to anyone?"

Gene nodded, "A Detective in Bakersfield, Brent Driscoll."

"Do you have his contact information?" Reid asked.

Gene shook his head, "I'm afraid I lost it in the move here years ago."

Reid turned to Charlie, "I saw this knot used in four of your LA cases, Charlie."

Charlie ran his hand through his hair, "We're getting somewhere…but where?" Reid pulled out his cell phone.

" _Hey sweetness, you having fun in the sunshine state without us?"_ Garcia soon teased through the speakerphone.

"Loads Garcia," Reid replied. "Can you do me a favor and locate the number for a Brent Driscoll? He's a detective in Bakersfield."

" _Bakersfield? I thought you were in the City of Angels, love. Besides, what's going on? You are supposed to be on vacation."_ They could hear typing as she spoke.

Reid shook his head, "It's complicated, Garcia. I'll explain later. Do you have his number?"

" _Sending it in five, four…huh."_

Reid raised an eyebrow and sent Charlie a concerned glance. "What is it?"

" _Brent Driscoll died last year, reportedly fell and hit his head, then fell in and drowned in his pool."_

The group all looked at each other. Charlie quickly closed the folder and grabbed a pen from his pocket. "Do you have the date and location?"

" _Oh, naughty Reid, you didn't tell me this was a three-way."_

"Garcia," Reid groaned.

" _Sorry, sorry. It was October 12, 2008. I'm texting you the address."_ Charlie wrote the information down.

"Thanks Garcia." Reid hung up his phone and looked at Charlie. "Okay, now I'm starting to buy into this a little more." He turned to Gene and Roy, "Thanks for your help, both of you. We're going to add this data to his files. Charlie nodded in agreement as Reid guided him out the door, outside, and to the car. "Charlie?"

"Hmmm?" Charlie snapped out of his thoughts. He was trying to add Driscoll to the data in his head but having a hard time focusing.

"Want to go your office?" Reid could tell he wasn't going to get him to settle down enough to go home right now. Charlie nodded and climbed into the car, Reid right behind him.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"Charlie?" the pair of geniuses, who had been studying Charlie's data on the computer while sitting on the floor, turned to the sound of a woman's voice. Both noted Larry following behind.

Charlie hardly seemed to register the greeting, however, turning back to the screen. Reid nodded at Larry and turned to the woman. "I'm going to take a guess that you are Amita," he smiled.

"Oh sorry," Charlie injected, snapping out of it. "I forgot that you two haven't met. Dr. Amita Ramanujan, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. He's a former student and friend. He holds 3 PhDs, 2 BAs and works for the FBI as part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Spencer, this is Amita, also a former student, professor at CalSci, Milton Prize winner…and my girlfriend." Reid waved and Amita smiled and nodded back.

"Wow, so he's the cooler version of you since he _actually_ gets to carry the badge and gun," Amita joked, gesturing to the gun on Spencer's hip. Larry laughed loudly as the two geniuses shook their heads. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Spencer."

Reid smiled, "Likewise Amita, I've heard many great things about you. Your paper on combinatorics was fascinating."

"Wow, thank you. What are your degrees in?"

"The doctorates are in chemistry, engineering, and mathematics. The BAs are in psychology and sociology. I'm in the process of finishing up another one in philosophy." Reid rattled off, always embarrassed to talk about his degrees, even among others academics.

"Ah, philosophy…the only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing." Larry added.

Reid smiled and nodded, "Socrates." Charlie shook his head at the scene before him and then turned back to the computer screen once more. The pair joined Reid and Charlie on the floor.

Larry looked around the room, "Charles, you seem to be living and working out of boxes. You've turned into a previous incarnation of me."

Amita frowned, "What is taking you so long to unpack?" She had a feeling, but he hadn't opened up to her about the case so she pretended to be innocent.

Charlie waved his hand dismissively, "Too busy. If I make one mistake, innocent people could get hurt."

Amita watched as Spencer watched her boyfriend, but said nothing. Hmm. "Don't you think that maybe you are over reacting?"

Larry decided to chime in. "You're an applied mathematician applying math to a problem. There is something to be said about cathartic endeavors," mirroring his comments to Amita the day before since Spencer hadn't offered any proof of the case yet.

Charlie hung his head a bit and then looked at Reid for back up. Reid cleared his throat. "There is a form of PTSD where hyper vigilance becomes an overwhelming emotion. I see it with victims and their families all the time," he started. Charlie opened his mouth to protest and Reid held his eye, silencing him.

"I saw it with Elle." He held Charlie's eyes even longer, letting that sink in. He knew that only Charlie would understand this part. "I should have seen it with Gideon. Neither should have been back at work as soon as they were…well, there were a lot of things that we should have done differently, particularly with Elle. I handled my own issues differently." He looked down at the floor for a moment and Charlie frowned. Amita and Larry exchanged looks, confused.

"Spencer, I-"

Reid shook his head, "Let me finish, Charlie. Do I think you might be experiencing this after seeing your brother come very close to dying? Yes, yes I do." He paused and then turned to the other two. "Do I think he's potentially found a serial killer here in LA? Yes, yes I do." He looked back at Charlie. "I never said the two were mutually exclusive." He smiled softly at Charlie and patted him on the back.

Charlie couldn't help the grin and sigh of relief that escaped. "So if I'm right, then why the anomalies in the data?"

"You're trying to quantify a single person into an eloquent, mathematical pattern. The universe if full of all these odd bumps and twists, Charlie, and so are people," Larry supplied.

Reid nodded. "People are more complicated. Everything in this pattern, suggests a highly methodical individual. He studies people's routines to find the best time to commit his crime. But, at the same time, he can't control _everything_. Sometimes routines change. You oversleep, you get the red light instead of the green, or traffic backs up. All of these things throw off a routine in a small way. We need to make the equation less eloquent, more complex."

Charlie nodded, thinking things over. He looked at Larry. "I feel like we've had this conversation before."

Larry tilted his head, "Well, cosmologically speaking, everything that happens has happened before." Reid and Charlie both blinked as they thought that statement over and then looked at each other, the light bulb going off at the same time.

"Bakersfield." They said in unison. Charlie climbed off the floor, excited. "We need more data." The rest got up off the floor as well.

"We do," Reid agreed. "But I think we may want to work on the equation first. It can help hone in on what data we're looking for and I can get Garcia working on finding more data tomorrow. I should also probably call Hotch, see if the team needs to join us. But, I'd like to have more to go off of first."

Charlie nodded, "Okay, any suggestion on how to adjust the equation?"

Larry guided Amita to the couch, giving the two some space. Reid nodded. "Well, what your data is describing is a stealth predator. He is purposely trying to avoid detection. It reminds me of Kim Rossmo's work in Vancover in 1998."

"Rossmo? Isn't he a Canadian detective and mathematician?" asked Amita.

Reid nodded. "We can apply his methodology to help adjust the equation and then use that to narrow down the data from Bakersfield."

"Okay, how do we get a copy of his methodology?" asked Larry.

Reid thought about it. He'd read synopsis of the information since it had been refined in the hands of the FBI and BAU, but never the original so he couldn't use his recall for it. Even if he could, he had a feeling Charlie needed a break, whether he would admit to it or not. "I'm sure Garcia can send it to me, but it's late in DC so we may have to wait until the morning. She doesn't work long hours unless we're away. We can also get more data from Gene then."

"He's right, Charlie," Amita added, moving to be next to her boyfriend. She wrapped an arm around him. "You need a break. Let's get some take out and rest, get some sleep." She ran her fingers through his hair and felt him lean into her touch.

Charlie sighed, "Okay." Reid released the breath he had been holding when he heard his friend agree. He'd call Garcia once alone so she could get it to him ASAP, whether that was in five minutes or when she went back to work in the morning, but he didn't want Charlie to know that right now. It was one thing for him to get obsessed with his work and forget to care for himself, but it was another to see his mentor do it before his own eyes.


	19. Lending a Hand, Part 3

"Lending a Hand, Part Three"

* * *

" _So do you think you need us?"_ Hotch asked. He was leaning against his counter in his kitchen, having just finished a late dinner. Jack was with Haley tonight.

Reid sighed, "I don't know. We still are missing a lot of pieces, Hotch. But, I'm inclined to say we do have a killer. The LA team seems capable, so I'm not sure if we'd need everyone out here either. However, if the pattern holds up, we're looking at another victim in about four days. I do think I need more time."

Hotch nodded, _"Okay, you can stay for now. We'll consider this your first solo on site consult, Reid. But, if you need us, even just to brainstorm, don't hesitate to call. We can at least share theory via webcam or phone. I'll fix your vacation time."_

Reid chuckled at the last part, "Thanks. We don't do a good job of taking time off, do we?"

Hotch smiled, _"Nope. Goodnight Reid. Keep me in the loop."_

"I will, night, Hotch." Reid hung up his phone and sighed, glad those two calls were done, having called Garcia first. She had already sent him the Rossmo file, it wasn't that hard for her to find. He just needed to read it. He looked around the atrium of the Eppes' family home. Charlie had insisted he stay with them.

"Well if it isn't Spencer Reid, whiz kid of the BAU."

Reid shook his head and turned to his visitor. "Hey Don." Don walked into the room, handing Reid a beer as he took a seat on a chair across from him. Reid watched his slow walk. He didn't know Don as well as the rest of the Eppes family since he was already working his way up the ranks at the FBI by the time he met Charlie. But, they had seen each other from time to time and Don did give him some advice about the academy. Reid had a feeling he was a little shocked to learn he had gotten all the way through, until he had learned Gideon had taken him under his wing. He liked to think he was a far more capable agent that he was when he started. Don, however, seemed to be slowing down a bit. "How are you doing?" he took a sip of his beer.

Don shrugged, "I'm healing, just a little slower than I'd like." Reid nodded. "So I heard that Gideon retired and then Rossi came out of retirement? Why in the world would he do that?"

Reid smiled, "He said he was bored and needed more writing material so he could sell his next million books." Reid, of course, held back on the real reason Rossi had come out of retirement. This answer may or may not be in line with why he's stayed, however.

Don laughed and looked at the young man before him. "You look good, Agent Reid. A little more confident since our last talk."

Reid appreciated the Agent comment. He knew Gideon insisted on Doctor as a way for him to get respect, but sometimes it felt good to hear someone call him that instead. "Well, you know, being shot at, almost being blown up - oh and kidnapped and tortured - will toughen you up a bit," Reid replied with a hint of sarcasm, taking a sip of beer.

Don studied his brother's protégé. Clearly he had underestimated him all those years ago. He had been terribly surprised that Spencer had wanted to join the bureau, pleasantly surprised that he made it through the academy. When he found out he was taken under Jason Gideon's wing, well, he hadn't been sure what to think. He knew the kid would be a great asset if how Charlie or his parents had talked about him was any indication, but he also knew Gideon was intense. He wasn't sure Reid would have survived that long with the BAU if he had stayed with Gideon the whole time.

But tortured? He knew that unit saw a lot, but...

Don picked at the beer label, "yeah, this job can be a bitch sometimes." Reid nodded; grateful Don didn't seem to want to pick on his comment – that torture line had just slipped out. "It's made me start to go to Temple..."

Reid looked at the senior agent in surprise. "I, uh, thought your family wasn't religious." Charlie had always had a firm grip on being a man of science, just like him. That was until...

Don shrugged, "we weren't – aren't. I don't know, after everything I've seen I guess I just want to believe there is something more out there. I'm still trying to figure it out." Reid nodded, but remained silent, taking another sip. Don may not be a profiler, but he could tell he had struck a nerve. "Have you been starting to believe?"

Reid sighed and leaned back. Had he? He shifted and held Don's gaze for a few seconds. He hadn't talked to anyone on the team, or Charlie, about this. Was Don the right choice? "I...don't know. I, uh…" Reid cleared his throat. "The unsub that kidnapped me…he uh…"

Don leaned forward, trying to silently encourage the young man. Obviously this was a lot deeper than he thought it was going to be. He looked at him and saw Charlie; he had to help him.

Reid ran his hand through his hair. "After some of the torture…" he looked up, meeting Don's concerned gaze. "I had a seizure and died." Don's eyes widened, shocked. "He revived me."

"Spencer…"

Reid shook his head, "I'm okay, Don. Well, I'm better. But when I was…dead…I saw a white light and felt warmth." He fiddled with the beer label. "It's been over two years and I don't know how to process that. There's no scientific prove that God exists…"

Don let out a slow whistle. "I don't really have a good answer for you, Spencer. I wish…"

Reid nodded, "I know, thanks. I don't really expect you to. I guess it was good to just finally tell someone."

"You haven't told anyone on your team? Or Charlie?" Reid shook his head. "Well your secret is safe with me. If you ever want to talk to about again, let me know. We can ponder this thing called the afterlife together." The pair chuckled and clanked their beers together. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"You want to know my opinion on Charlie's theory, correct?" Reid asked and Don nodded. "He's frantic, having difficulty focusing on other things around him, and concerned it will be _his_ fault if someone else dies. I suspect he thinks he caused your stabbing as well."

Don frowned. "It's impossible to get through to him when he's like this. He did it when mom was sick at the end, he did it five years ago when a case went wrong…"

Reid nodded, "I remember it when your mom was dying. P vs nP, right?" Don confirmed. "See the difference here is that with that equation it's difficult to show where his methodology goes wrong since there is no solution. But with this case, if you can show him something is wrong, it can snap him out of it."

"Okay, so…"

"So I can't find anything wrong, Don. I've looked over the equation and it makes sense. We still have to adjust it some to account for some outlier data and we think the killer may have started in another part of California, but I don't think he's pulling this out of thin air."

Don studied Reid for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. Do you have anything you can walk me through?"

Reid shook his head, "Not tonight. Let us work on the adjustments tomorrow and then I'll see if Larry or Amita can bring it to you."

"Okay." Don took another sip of his beer. "Let's distract him with some cards or something, huh?" Both knew Amita had gone to upstairs earlier when Charlie insisted on trying to work more. He patted Reid on the shoulder as he walked by.

"Hey, I'll gladly take your money any day Don, but I think Charlie's at a disadvantage right now." Reid followed him out of the room as Don shook his head. The pair walked into the living room just in time to see Charlie startle awake on the couch. They exchanged a glance before Don walked over to him.

"Chuck, you okay?" Charlie didn't answer as Don walked closer. He studied his brother as he blinked up at him from the couch. "Hey, you're in my spot," he joked, trying to jolt him back to reality. Reid frowned; whatever that nightmare was had clearly shaken him.

"Why are you here?" Charlie mumbled.

"I like it here," Don teased. Charlie shifted so Don could sit next to him and Don groaned as he did. "Man, I've been shot at, beaten, and you remember the sports I played as a kid, but I've never been laid up like this."

"You were stabbed," Charlie replied. "How can you be so calm about it?"

"Sounds like another day at the FBI to me," Reid added, trying to keep it light.

Don shrugged, "I survived, didn't I?" Reid smirked, but only Don caught it. Charlie stood up.

"Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" Don smiled. Charlie went for his coat.

"Where are you going?" Reid asked.

"I might as well work. I don't want to have another dream like that."

"On what exactly?" Reid questioned, trying to keep his friend here.

"I don't know," Charlie answered, pacing. Reid sighed and looked at Don who shrugged and took another sip of his beer. He debated his options. To lie and see him anxious or tell him the truth and still watch him work too hard?

Reid rolled his shoulders, preparing himself. "Garcia sent me Rossmo's methodology."

Charlie turned and stared at him. "And you are just now telling me?"

"I thought you needed rest," he stared him down. "Still do."

"He's right, Charlie," added Don.

"I can't!" Charlie exclaimed. "I just…I can't." Charlie rubbed his eyes, trying to will the image of Amita screaming out of his head.

Reid shook his head, giving up for now. "Okay, Charlie. Let's go. We can print it out from your office and work on adjusting the equation."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Larry and Amita entered Charlie's office the next morning to find stacks of paper all over the place. They looked at each other in concern and then worked to find Charlie. Reid spotted them first. "Please tell me you brought coffee, Larry," he greeted with a yawn.

"Uh, no, but I will get you some shortly." Larry studied Reid, noting the tie was gone and he was still in his shirt from yesterday and it was no longer tucked in. "Have you been here all night?"

"Yes," Reid yawned again.

"What happened to getting some rest?" Amita asked, annoyed. Wasn't he supposed to be helping Charlie not enabling him?

"Had to work, couldn't stop," Charlie mumbled was he ran past them. "My search for a non-random signal has revealed not only intelligence, but a careful and extremely shrewd intelligence." He disappeared from them again.

Reid turned to the pair, lowering his voice. "I tried, Amita, I promise. He fell asleep on the couch while Don and I were talking and had a nightmare. I couldn't get him to settle down so this was my best option." Amita nodded in understanding. Reid then raised his voice so Charlie could hear, "We also found out he's working in not just LA, but was previously in northern California and then the Fresno/Bakersfield area before landing in LA."

"How did you get to that conclusion?" asked Larry. The three went to join Charlie by his desk where the relevant data was.

"We combined more of Gene Evans' data with the Rossmo methodology after I got that from my coworker. We found that the killer has struck three times over 25 years." Reid answered.

Charlie looked at his watch, deciding it was time to get even more data. He turned and saw Amita, finally allowing himself time to see she was okay. He gently laid a hand on the side of her face, tangling her hair in his fingers and pulled her in for a kiss. When he pulled back, he caressed her cheek for a moment. "It's really good to see you," he murmured.

Reid watched the scene. Well that explained what happened in the nightmare. Then, just as brief as the tender scene was, it ended and Charlie turned to run out the door. Reid sighed and shrugged at the other two, "I'll take a rain check on that coffee, Larry!" he yelled as he ran after Charlie.

"Charlie, slow down!" Charlie slowed his pace, allowing Reid to catch up with him. "Where are you going now?"

"More data!"

Reid sighed, "Can we at least stop at your house? Get a shower and some breakfast?" When Charlie didn't answer he added, "Please?" Charlie sighed and nodded, caving.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid took another long sip of his second cup of coffee as Roy pulled up. He was grateful for the shower, clean clothes and breakfast that Alan had waiting for them when they arrived. Don offered to go with Charlie for his next stop, but Reid declined. He'd run on no sleep before, he could do it again for a little while. At least it wasn't his own nightmares that were reason for keeping him up. And, to be honest, their latest discovery had him excited about the case.

"You know 8 AM is an ungodly hour to be meeting someone right?" Roy muttered as he got out of his car. Reid smiled sympathetically at the man.

"Sorry Roy, but I need a little more data and I think Gene will have it." The group headed to the front door and Charlie knocked. That's when the three noticed the door gently creep open. Reid immediately went into high alert.

"Take this," he handed his coffee to Roy as he grew his gun. "Stay here until I give you the all clear." He made sure to make eye contact with Charlie, who nodded in reply. He readied his weapon and gently pushed the door open. He cleared the front room and made his way to the back of the house. "Gene? Martha?" he called out. He noted the automated coffee machine brewing on the counter. After determining the bottom level was clear; he quickly checked the second floor. He saw the covers on the bed scattered about as if they had been awakened in the middle of the night. Frowning, he made he way back to the front door.

"Let's check the garage," he told the other two. The group made their way back to the garage and Charlie peered in first.

"Car is still here."

Roy went for the handle on the door. "Wait until my count," Reid instructed. Roy nodded and waited for Reid to count to three on his hand so he was prepared.

"Oh my god!" Roy yelled, startled. Charlie pulled out his cell phone as Reid cleared the scene, securing his gun back to his hip. Reid looked through the windshield again at the suffocated bodies of Gene and Martha Evans. Why would they have been victims? Were they really that close to finding the killer or was it unrelated? This unsettled Reid, hoping Charlie and the rest weren't now targets too. Not to mention himself.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie sat down in the conference room, sighing. "Gene and Martha Evans fit the pattern of a microcluster."

"What interests me is that they were supplying you with data," David stated.

Liz stuck her head in, "Sheriff's office is on the phone, what do you want me to tell them?"

"Tell them we'd like to stay in the loop for a possible link to an FBI case," David answered.

"Serial?"

"Not yet," David answered, noting Charlie's look. "We've got to be sure first."

"I think we may be," Reid interjected, taking a seat next to Charlie. He grabbed the wireless keyboard that was on the desk and pushed a few keys. Up popped a video feed to a blond with bespeckled glasses, holding a cup of coffee and a feathered pen. Charlie blinked, David looked bewildered.

"Hey hey LA, the divine Miss Penelope at your service. How is my gorgeous genius doing this morning?" A grin spread across Charlie's face despite his mood, now connecting the face to the technical analyst he had over heard on the phone.

"Sleep deprived. Although I'm worried about you…you do realize this is Reid and not your boy toy Morgan, right? Or do you need a new prescription in those glasses?" David looked at Reid, surprised to hear that sarcasm come from the young man. Colby, who heard the tail end, walked further into the room, intrigued.

"Ha, don't worry, Reid, I can clearly see you are not my chocolate god." She took a sip of her coffee and soaked in the rest of the room. "Although I see there is plenty of eye candy in the room for me to enjoy," she grinned at the rest. "Hi there."

Reid shook his head. "Penelope Garcia, meet Professor Charles Eppes and Agents David Sinclair and Colby Granger," he supplied, gesturing to the rest.

"How do you do?" she greeted. The three men waved.

"As entertaining as this is…" David started.

Reid nodded, "Right. Garcia, tell them what you told me."

"Well I looked into your Gene Evans, amateur detective. Turns out he posted online two days ago that he was going to start helping out the police again."

"Okay," Colby stated, confused as to its relevance.

"He told us he stopped a few years back when he got some crank phone calls. Maybe they weren't crank calls after all," Reid supplied.

"Maybe, but I have a witness that says he saw someone in the Evans' yard when he was driving by," Colby retorted, holding up a digital photo of a guy in a ski mask.

Reid squinted at the photo, "Worth checking but I'm not buying it." David opened his mouth to protest. "We also found out that Evans talked with a Detective Brent Driscoll back in Bakersfield and shared his theory. Guess who slipped and fell, hitting his head and drowned in his backyard pool last year?"

"I don't think it was an accident, David," Charlie added.

"They ultimately ruled it one, but I'm having everything sent to you," Garcia supplied. "Reid, I also talked with the Chief of Police there and they are sending you his open files. They weren't all caught up in their digital back ups so I can't go through them for you, sorry."

"That's okay, Garcia, thanks. Tell Hotch I'll update him soon."

"Will do oh tall and smart one, PG out." With that the screen went black.

"She's fun," Colby commented. David and Charlie snickered.

Reid smiled, "You don't know the half of it."

"Liz and Nikki are interviewing Gene Evans' brother to rule out other reasons for their murders," David informed Charlie and Reid.

As if on queue, Nikki walked in, "Gene Evans had a restraining order out on a Mark Horn. Apparently he was a former client and blamed Gene for losing his life savings. He threatened Gene and broke into his house once." She showed them a photo of Horn.

"I'll go see if this is who the witness saw," offered Colby.

"Mind if I tag along?" Reid asked. He knew they were trying to rule out that the Evans murders were part of the serial case, which was good due diligence. But, he had a suspicion of his own. Colby looked at David who nodded.

"Doesn't bother me, let's go."


	20. Lending a Hand, Part 4

"Lending a Hand, Part Four"

* * *

"Well, like I told the Sheriff's office, it was dark and he had a jacket with a hood on but, yeah, that looks like the guy," Robert Posdner, their witness, stated. David and Colby sat on Posdner's couch as they spoke. Reid stood behind, subtly looking around the room. He noted his wife and son in the other room.

David hung his head little, wondering if their potential lead on the serial case had just gone up in smoke. "Okay, thank you Mr. Posdner," he offered, ready to end the interview and tell the girls to bring in Mark Horn.

"The Evans' neighborhood seems a little out of the way for you, Mr. Posdner," Reid interjected. "What were you doing out that way in the early hours of the morning?" He schooled his expression to avoid showing any distrust. He also chose to ignore the glances from David and Colby.

"I have a friend, Henry Mitchell, who lives in that area. He works the second shift and was having car trouble that morning. I was helping him out and dropping him off at home since I had a late meeting and could adjust my schedule today," Posdner supplied. Reid nodded, accepting his story for now. He noted how even keel his voice was and how readily available that answer was, without any hesitation.

"Right, thanks again Mr. Posdner," Colby added again when he noted Reid didn't have a follow up question. The two agents that were seated stood.

"Sure," Posdner replied, standing as well. He then leaned in, "Have you caught that guy yet?" David hesitated, which caused Posdner to continue, "Is my family a target now? I don't want any trouble." Reid shifted his gaze to the floor, avoiding eye contact with Posdner. He noted the quiver in Posdner's voice at the question. Was it real or fake?

David smiled reassuringly, "No, I think your family is safe." The agents left the house and made their way to the car. Once safely seated, David turned to look at Reid while Colby backed the car out of the driveway. "What was that about?"

Reid shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure yet." He didn't have much besides his intuition to suspect Posdner, so he held sharing that information for now. He was grateful that David seemed to accept his answer for now and turn back to the front and pull out his cell. Reid listened as David called Liz to go pick up Mark Horn for questioning. He hoped he made it back to the office in time to listen to it.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie walked into his office to find Larry and Roy talking about conspiracy theories. It would be a moment that at any other time would amuse him, but right now he could hardly focus on it. "What's up Roy?"

"Right, step into my office…err, your office," Roy replied and followed Charlie to his desk. He handed Charlie a file, "I think I found your victim zero. 1988, Nancy Kershaw. She was 17 at the time, junior at Stockton High School. Her body was found in a wooden area near McCormick Park."

Charlie glanced at the newspaper clipping and then back at Roy. "What criteria did you use for identifying her as victim zero?"

"Criteria…identifying…" Roy copied, flustered. "I love your hair." He cleared his throat. "I took the earliest area you identified – Stockon – and looked for previous murders."

Larry interjected, "If I may, not all people murdered in that area can be linked to a cluster."

Roy smiled and nodded, "This guy, he's good. I also got a copy of the ME's report, check it out." He gestured for Charlie to look at the next page. All three noted the constrictor knot on her wrists.

"The knot. But that's not used in all the cases," Charlie stated.

Roy nodded, "True, but as I bet Dr. Reid could tell you, if she is victim zero, serial killers will often start with someone they know or live close to. She had a boyfriend, and about a week after she was killed, someone called him and threatened to kill him too." Charlie and Larry exchanged glances, intrigued. Roy noticed and got excited, whispering, "I'm good. Guys, I should do this for a living. Think Dr. Reid could put in a good word?"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"I didn't do anything wrong," Mark Horn stated, as Nikki circled him in interrogation. Liz sat calming across from him. They didn't know Reid was in the observation room. "I was just watching my daughter."

"You're not allowed to be around her," Liz answered.

"My ex just doesn't understand, I have to fight for what is mine," Horn groaned, rubbing his face.

"Is that what you did with Gene Evans?" Nikki asked. "You fought for what was yours? He had a restraining order out against you because you were violent."

"You'd be violent too if he caused you to lose everything! I'm the victim and I'm the one that ended up in county jail. I'm not the one they should be locking up!"

"Who is?" asked Liz.

"Gene Evans!"

Liz slid a photo of the Evans, bags still covering their heads, from the crime scene. "Is this why you were at his house the night he was killed? We can prove you were in the area through your credit card records."

Horn glanced at the photo and quickly pushed it away, "Whoa! I only drove by."

"You broke into his home," Nikki stated. The ladies stared at him and he sighed.

"I broke in to get his records. Why would I kill him? I needed him to help make my case against the IRS!" Nikki and Liz shared a look. Reid shook his head; yep, definitely not their killer.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Amita slipped through the door of the Eppes house. Don glanced up from the TV. "Hey. Charlie's not here. He went to pick up Spencer from the FBI. They should be back soon though."

Amita nodded, taking a seat across from Don. "I know. I actually came to talk to you." She handed him a folder. "Spencer had asked me to compile the information for you."

Don nodded, "Yeah, thanks." He took the folder. "What's your take on it?"

Amita sighed, "The only way to get through to Charlie when he's like this is to find a flaw."

"Yeah, Spencer said that too."

"I think there is a good reason for Charlie to be this obsessed."

Don flipped open the folder. "I suspected. Walk me through it?"

Amita nodded, "Sure. Oh, Spencer also asked if you could send a copy to his boss, Aaron Hotchner?"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid pressed a few keys for the big screen in the conference room at the FBI offices again. The rest of the team was waiting on Charlie to arrive from class and he wanted a few minutes with his team to check out his theory and profile.

"Hey Pretty Boy, how's sunny LA?" teased Morgan when the team appeared on screen a second later. They were in the conference room, sitting around the table, the keyboard in front of Garcia as always. Reid smiled despite himself. He got along fine with the LA crew but there was something about his own team that felt right to him.

"Oh you know, just great with a serial killer that's killed close to seventy people running around," he replied. That got a chuckle from Morgan and a sympathetic smile from Emily and JJ. He couldn't read Hotch or Rossi's expressions. "You've had time to review the file?"

"We have, Reid," Hotch answered. "Can't say we understand the math behind it, but it's clear Professor Eppes definitely found a pattern."

Reid nodded. "Agreed."

"This is one intelligent unsub, one of the worst stealth predators I've seen," added Rossi.

"To spend that much time organizing, carefully selecting his next target and learning their routines, planning his choice in MO…points to someone who is careful, methodical, detailed oriented," Emily supplied.

Reid opened his mouth to reply when Charlie came bursting through the doors, followed by five FBI agents, including Don. "Ready Spencer?" he asked as he took a seat next to him, oblivious to the screen. The others we not, however, and took seats or leaned against the tables to face the screen. Reid nodded and cleared his throat, gesturing to the screen. Charlie turned to look, "Oh, sorry."

"No problem Charlie, we were just walking through the profile." He turned back to his team. "Guys, this is Professor Charles Eppes, and Agents Sinclair, Warner, Bentancourt, Granger and Don Eppes, Charlie's brother," he introduced, each waving or nodding at their names. "And this is the BAU, Agents Jareau, Hotchner, Prentiss, Rossi, and Morgan. Most of you probably remember our Technical Analyst Garcia from yesterday."

Garcia waved the biggest. "Hotch, why does their office look so much cooler than ours?" This earned chuckles from a few on both coasts. She caught Hotch's eye, "Right, shutting up now. Continue Reid."

"Talk me though it, guys," Don supplied to get them started.

Nikki jumped in, "Mark Horn threatened Gene Evans. We can link him to the vicinity of the Evans home the night of the murder."

"Can you link him to any other deaths?" asked JJ.

Liz shook her head, "No, he was out of the country for one cluster and in another state for another one."

"He didn't kill them," Reid stated. "I watched your interrogation, I can say with certainty that he didn't do it."

"Based on what?" asked Colby.

"Spencer's right," commented Don. "I watched the tapes too, there is no way that's the guy. He was arrested for harassing Evans."

"If he kills him, he knows he'd be your primary suspect," added Emily.

"Right, and he didn't try to leave the area or conceal his whereabouts," followed David. "Okay, so Evans is likely another serial victim. Where does that leave us?"

"Let's start with the profile," Hotch stated. "Reid, care to take the lead?" He was hoping to continue to grow his youngest agent's confidence.

Reid nodded. "You're looking for what we call a stealth predator; part of the thrill for him is the fact that no one knows about him. That's why he changes MO, victim type, and even location. The latter likely occurs when he perceives that he's close to getting caught. He's cautious; looking for MOs that looks like accidents as well as murder. He's incredibly meticulous in the way that he stalks his victims, to learn their routines, in order to formulate the best plan. Which makes him very intelligent and so difficult to detect, let alone catch."

"Because of the time he has to spend stalking his victims, he works a flexible, high paying job, possibly even his own business that can be mostly done from home. Although he would be working on it outside of the home so he can travel about the city finding his victims and that his family wouldn't suspect anything," added Morgan.

"What makes you so sure he has money?" asked Nikki.

Emily answered, "He has to look completely normal, non assuming in every environment that he finds his victims in. There aren't many lower to middle income jobs that would meet his needs for stalking time and if he was unemployed or homeless, he would likely look too disheveled and would stick out in the areas that his victims are found."

"If each victim is planned, why kill Evans without the usual interval?" David asked.

"Why the microclusters?" Charlie muttered, stilling trying to figure it out himself.

"Because he's thorough," answered Reid.

Don nodded, stepping forward. "It's the same reason he killed this guy," he projected a photo of the postal carrier on the screen.

Liz sat up, "That's right, the post carrier was running three hours late that day."

Rossi nodded, "Something your unsub had no way of anticipating. It means he saw your guy leaving the latest victim's house. The data that doesn't fit Professor Eppes' timeline is when he has made an error or if he thinks someone is close to figuring him out. In the case of Evans, he had announced he was going to resume his detective work with the police. He also killed Detective Driscoll, who I'd be willing to bet, had unknownly talked with your unsub at some point. It's his way of covering his tracks."

"Okay, this is all great in theory, but we don't have any hard evidence, it's all circumstantial, and we don't have a suspect," David stated.

"We have statistics," Charlie commented. "And a pattern, which indicates another attack within the next 48 hours."

"I say we move," Don chimed in. David looked at him, "I'll take responsibility." Don stated. David nodded.

"Actually," Reid started. "I think we may have somebody. Garcia, can you look into a Robert Posdner?"

"Um, sure," she replied, pulling her over laptop, which had been out of view in front of her and started to type away.

Colby stood from his leaning position and asked, "Our witness that saw Mark Horn at the Evans house? You think it might be him?"

Reid turned to face the LA team easier. This was what he had hoped to talk to his team about first, but time was of the essence. "I do. Explain to me how you can go from giving a composite sketch where a guy is completely covered with a hood and mask to being able to ID a suspect from his license photo? And his reason for being in that part of town in the early hours of the morning was flimsy at best." He paused, letting that sink in for David and Colby, the other two that were there.

"A personality like this would likely inject himself into an investigation. He would want to stay under the radar, but still be close enough to learn if the police were planning to arrest someone else for his crime. So it makes sense that he would come forward as a witness," supported Morgan.

"He likes to spook his victims while he stalks them, letting them catch glimpses of him, just enough to put them on edge. It would make sense that this would flow over into orchestrated interactions with the police," Charlie commented.

"And prowler reports aren't taken as serious threats by the cops so there wouldn't be follow up on the stalking to connect him to another victim," stated Liz. Nikki noticed another agent wave her down and she stepped out of the room.

"Gold star for Reid, always the teacher's pet," Garcia interrupted. "Robert Posdner didn't exist until ten years ago when he suddenly appears in LA."

"Okay, that raises his suspicion level, but how do we connect him to the other areas?" asked Colby.

"Is there a way to run the DMV photos from the other areas in the time frames of the murders to see if he lived in those areas under a different alias?" asked David.

"Well, sure," Garcia replied. "But you're talking about years for each area and a really wide location, it could take some time. Can you math geniuses come up with something new to narrow down the area to speed it up?"

Reid and Charlie stared at each other, pondering. Charlie was struggling to come up with something, exhaustion from the case starting to sink in. Reid turned and squinted at the maps tacked up in the conference room. "Not something new…"

"Spence?" asked JJ, recognizing the look first out of everyone.

Reid smiled to himself, amused at the irony of what he thought of. He stood up and walked to the glass board, grabbing the purple colored marker. Shaking it, he twisted the cap off and began to write up a complicated equation for everyone to see. He didn't notice the profilers all exchange a confused but amused glance or Colby and Liz look at each other, baffled.

"Wait, is that…?" David was first to respond, the equation looking familiar.

"You understand that?" asked Colby.

Charlie shook his head, "Of course, why didn't I think of that?" He grabbed his laptop out of his bag and began to crunch the data into the equation.

Don tilted his head. Normally Charlie's equations didn't stick in his brain, but this one… "Is that the hot zone equation from our first serial case together?"

Reid was actually the one to answer as he finished writing it, "Yep. I remember it from when I read the paper Charlie sent me. I've also used variations of it when I do geographical profiling for our cases."

"And you could just perfectly write it up there after five years?" asked Liz.

"He has an eidetic memory," supplied Morgan, a hint of pride at his little brother. "Pretty boy, care to explain to the rest of the class?"

"Think of it like…" Charlie started.

"Oh, can I do it?" David asked. That caused Reid to turn from the board in surprise. Don chuckled as Charlie gestured for David to take the floor. "It's like a lawn sprinkler, spreading hundreds of drops of water. Now, its impossible to predict where the next drops will fall. But if you take away the sprinkler, from the patterns of the drops you can calculate its location."

"So you can narrow down where he lived in each area?" clarified Emily.

Reid and Charlie nodded. "It takes our geographic profiles and narrows the area down into more detailed percentages of his comfort zone, which can help narrow the DMV photo search. Charlie, how's it going?"

"Almost…" Charlie muttered.

Reid looked at David, "I'm impressed, David." David shrugged and Don grinned.

About a minute later, maps appeared on the screen. "Here we go," stated Charlie.

Reid leaned over his shoulder, "Coming your way, Garcia."

"Thanks Einstein squared," Garcia replied. "I will run men from these areas during our time frames against Posdner's DMV photo for facial recognition and let you know when I have a hit."

Nikki popped back in, "Driscoll's files arrived, I'm going to start to go through them." She took a seat at the back table. Don and Colby joined her; all of them keeping an ear out on the rest of them while they flipped through the files, looking for a connection.

"You know, I think we're still missing a key piece of information," Rossi stated. "Victim Zero." Charlie's gaze turned to face the senior profiler on the screen. "What caused this guy to start killing? What caused him to get the taste? He hasn't made any errors to get caught – or at least covers up ones when he does, but he likely wasn't that organized when he started. Based on the time frame, I would assume he was still a teenager when he started."

"Well…" Charlie started. He still wasn't sure Roy's theory was accurate. This would be the group that could rule it out, however.

"What's up, Charlie?" asked Reid, eyeing his friend.

Charlie looked at him. "Roy thinks he found Victim Zero. I'm just not so sure."

Reid smiled at his hesitation. "Well, I could imagine why, but let's hear it anyway." David and Colby exchanged a glance, knowing what they were referring to; the rest weren't left in the dark for long as the person in question entered the room.

"Hey, you guys didn't tell me you were having a brain trust." Roy injected. "Charlie, did you tell them about my Victim Zero?" Then he caught a glimpse of the screen. "Whoa, hi there. Wait, is that David Rossi? Dude, I love your books! I use a lot of it as references for my blog, this is so awesome!"

Reid shook his head. Charlie ran his hand through his hair. "Roy, focus. I was just about to tell them, why don't you do the honors?"

"Oh okay – this is so exciting!" Roy opened the folder he carried in. "Okay so Nancy Kershaw was murdered in 1988 near McCormick Park. She was a junior at Stockton High School. The ME report showed that snake knot-"

"Constrictor knot," Reid clarified.

"Right! That one. Anyway, Nancy's boyfriend, Steve Savard, he got to the house when the killer was still there and chased him away. A few days after the murder, he got a threatening phone call from someone claiming to be a killer…and then a few days after that he nearly died in a car accident – his break lines were severed."

Charlie looked at Roy, "That's new information." Roy nodded excitedly. "Did you find out something else?"

"Yep! Turns out there was a guy a year older than Nancy and Steve. He was a suspect because he kept asking Nancy out and hanging around her house," Roy continued.

"Stalking," Hotch commented. Everyone then heard Garcia's computer make a noise.

"I've got three hits, crime fighters," Garcia stated. She adjusted the view for the LA group, shrinking the window of the team, so she could project onto the screen what she found for both teams to see. "Here's Posdner, currently an LA resident. The other hits I got are a Thomas Park, a David Palmer, and a Wayne Potvin." She projected the four photos and everyone could see it was the same guy.

"We got him," Charlie grinned.

"Thomas Park – that's the suspect for Nancy's murder. This is so freaking awesome! It's so Zodiac. Look, Charlie, I have goosebumps!" The geniuses exchanged a glance; Charlie getting annoyed, Reid was just amused.

"Yeah, but all we have him for now is identify theft," stated Colby.

"Wait," Don stated, standing up with a file. "Driscoll was investigating a Wayne Potvin as one of nineteen suspects for a double murder. Driscoll interviewed him, did his background check, and he was clean."

"Because it was a fake identity," added JJ.

"True, but we have video from the interview, could reveal something," Don added.

David sighed, "We still can't tie this guy to a single murder with any hard evidence."

"Wait," Reid stated. "Did you say that the boyfriend heard the murderer's voice?" Roy nodded. "Garcia, could you use the tape from the Driscoll interview to alter the voice to make it sound like an 18 year old?"

"Please, Reid, that's child's play," Garcia commented.

"What good does that do us?" asked Liz.

"If you can locate Steve Savard, he might be able to identify your unsub for Kershaw's murder by his voice," supplied Morgan, following Reid's plan. "Good thinking kid."

"Okay, does he still live in Stockton?" asked Don.

"Actually, his family moved to Nevada after his accident," Roy answered. "But he's flying out tomorrow to meet us here."

David squinted at the young man. "Are you kidding me? Did you seriously impersonate an FBI agent?"

Roy looked at his watch, "Oh would you look at the time…I should…"

The group shook their heads. "Okay, what do we do now?" asked Charlie. "Please tell me we aren't just going to wait. We're running out of time for his next victim."

Reid looked at his team, catching Hotch's eye. The senior agent nodded, both having thought of the same thing. "I think you can move on him now, Don, David," Reid stated.

David raised an eyebrow, "How? We have no evidence. We might have something from Savard tomorrow but…"

"This type of killer is purposely avoiding detection from the police by changing location, victim type and MO. He's not boasting to or taunting at the police," Hotch reviewed.

"We got that…" Colby answered.

Reid picked it up from Hotch, "So he still needs something to get off on, to relive the excitement from each kill. He also needs a place to store his rope, different knifes and other weapons. When we search his place, we will find his supplies and his trophies in the same place. We have enough to bring him in for questioning, his identity theft is enough to get you a search warrant, even if what we will discover isn't exactly related to that particular crime."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't ask for a lawyer. He probably will come quietly and with a smug grin, ready to finally boast about what he's done all these years," added Emily.

Don looked at the profilers on the screen and the one he's known in for years in front of him and nodded. He then turned to David. "What do you want to do, Boss?"

"Let's get this guy."


	21. Lending a Hand, Part 5

"Lending a Hand, Part Five"

* * *

"Robert Posdner, FBI! Let me see your hands!" David yelled as the group surrounded their killer in his front yard. Reid was behind David; Nikki and Colby came from the other side. He watched as Posdner lifted his hands, a smirk on his face.

"Agents Sinclair and Reid, right?"

"Robert! What's happening?" Posdner's wife came out the front door, trying to get in the way. Nikki held her back as Colby cuffed Posdner.

"It's okay honey, they're federal agents!" he yelled back at his wife. He then lowered his voice for only the agents to hear. "Look at her. Poor thing has no idea. It will be a total shock." He raised his voice once more, "Honey, it's almost time to pick up the kids, isn't it?" He continued to smile as Colby pushed him towards the SUV, reading him his rights as he did.

David and Reid looked at each other as they holstered their weapons. "Wow." Reid nodded in agreement. "Savard should be arriving soon. Do you want to be there for his interview, or go back for Posdner's?"

Reid shook his head, "I think I'd like to search this place, find his trophies. Your team deserves to interrogate Posdner and I think Liz and Charlie can handle Savard with Garcia patched in." David nodded, patting Reid's shoulder as he headed back to the car. Reid worked with the other agents there, coordinating the search. He soon found himself in a small work shed with Nikki. He began to search the drawers and it wasn't long until he found photos, pieces of clothing, multiple knives, rope, bits of jewelry and other mementos Posdner had collected over the last 25 years. He shook his head. As grateful as he was that their profile was accurate and no matter how much he had seen, this collection sickened him. Nikki caught his attention as she held up a little girl's pink pants. Reid sighed as they continued to bag the evidence. What if Don hadn't been stabbed and Charlie never dived into this data?

His phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked down at his caller ID, "Hey Hotch, he's the guy. We're collecting his trophies now."

" _Good to hear Reid. Not bad for a solo case."_

Reid smiled, "Well I wouldn't call it a solo one, you guys helped from a distance."

" _You still did the bulk of the work, Reid. I'm proud of you."_

"Thanks Hotch."

" _That's not the reason I called, actually. We're headed to Bend, Oregon tomorrow morning. Garcia is arranging a flight for you to meet us there and she'll text you when she's finalized it. You can catch up on the file when we meet."_

Reid nodded. "Got it, see you tomorrow." Reid hung up and sighed. Better wrap this up so he can spend a little time with Charlie and the rest before jetting off to find another killer.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"Nobody knew about me, I liked it that way. Some serial killers, they write to the newspapers or they taunt the police. I never drew attention to myself; I just wanted to go about doing the things I needed to do. You know, most serial killers, they can't control themselves – they are too damaged, they aren't careful. You need to plan, if you're doing it right. You know people who know me, they'll all say they never suspected anything. Well, I made sure they didn't. That's my favorite part. Took you guys a long, long time to find me, didn't it?"

Charlie shuddered as he listened to Posdner in interrogation with David and Liz. Garcia had emailed his work history - just as the BAU had profiled. He worked in IT, computer repair, his own business he started up. His wife had told Colby that he worked from home but would go out frequently for 'home installs.' Everything had fallen into place, including a direct link to a murder. Savard had been able to positively identify him as Kershaw's murderer. Charlie couldn't stomach listening to the man talk anymore, it sounded like they didn't even need Savard's ID with Posdner's confession just starting. How deranged was this guy?

He soon found himself back in the conference room as the agents, including Spencer, boxed up their evidence. Liz cleared her throat, breaking the silence first. "I know there are reasons, psychological motivations for why sociopaths become serial killers. But this guy, just seems evil."

Charlie just looked at her, "You really weren't expecting a rational explanation, were you?"

"Actually," Reid interjected. "I think you're mixing things up there, Liz. Posdner is a psychopath, not a sociopath. And not all serial killers fit into one of those categories. Some do have very distinct reasons for committing the crimes they do, often as the result of a trauma that has occurred, resulting in a mental break. They aren't textbook 'bad guys.' Some aren't even aware they are killing, to be honest."

"Now when it comes to sociopaths, they are what we consider to be more on the nurture side of development or impacted by their environment. There likely is a biological component too, however they weren't born like this, they grew into it. They tend to be easily agitated and prone to emotional outbursts, unable to hold down a steady job or form an attachment to anyone. Those around them wouldn't be surprised to find out they committed a crime, enough though most of their crimes are disorganized and spontaneous."

Reid took a very short breath before continuing. "Posdner on the other hand, he's a textbook psychopath. They are the nature side of the debate, seemingly born this way, likely due to a brain defect. Although, there is some research that suggests if you can note the signs before a child finishes their development in their teen years, you could potentially avoid what we saw in Posdner. Pyschopaths are unable to form emotional attachments but can be charming because they learn to mimic emotions and appear normal, which is why they can hold steady jobs and have long-term relationships without their partners even suspecting a thing. So, really, you _could_ say he was born evil and not exactly be that far off from the truth." Reid couldn't help the vision of young Danny from a few weeks ago coming to mind as he finished talking.

The group blinked at Reid for a moment, stunned. He hadn't gone off on one of his tangents with them yet so they weren't prepared for all that information. Charlie was the first to recover. "It never ceases to amaze me what your brain holds, Spencer. And that's saying something coming from me." Reid smiled and shrugged.

David shook his head. "Well, what ever he is, it was logic that caught him in the end."

Colby chuckled, "That and a little obsession." The group looked at Charlie who shrugged this time.

"Your brother gets stabbed. You react by catching a serial killer," commented Liz.

Nikki nodded, "You have a hell of a way of working through things."

Charlie smiled. "Some people drink, some gamble. I analyze data." Everyone looked at him and then at each other before bursting out laughing.

Reid shook his head as the group quieted down. "I can think of worse coping mechanisms." Charlie avoided eye contact, not wanting to give away what he was sure Spencer was referring to. "I'm glad I could help you with your analysis."

"Yeah, thanks for your help Reid," David added, shaking Reid's hand. "You headed back home tomorrow?"

Reid shook his head, "Nope, Oregon. Time to chase another one."

Colby sighed. How does this kid do that job all the time? This case had drained the team. "Well, it was a pleasure, Doc. Maybe the next time we see ya, David and I can win some of your money in a hand of poker or something."

Charlie laughed, getting everyone but Reid's attention. "Oh, Granger, the odds of that is so against you, it's comical."

Liz grinned, "You're a good card player, Spencer?" She hadn't expected that.

Reid shrugged, "Let's just say my hometown doesn't like it when I visit."

Nikki took the bait, "And that would be?"

Reid and Charlie exchanged a look as both answered, "Vegas."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Alan sighed happily as his family, blood and extended, sat under the stars in the backyard. He was grateful the young Spencer Reid had come into town and helped Charlie with his obsession. He had a feeling it would have been solved without him, but he helped his son with some of the stress and wrapped the case up faster. For that, he was grateful. Now, hopefully, his family would be finally all on the mend after Don's stabbing.

He glanced around, noting his eldest sitting, drinking a beer with a relaxed grin on his face. That was something he hadn't seen in awhile. Next was Charlie and Amita snuggled up together in the swing. He had a feeling his youngest would finally get a good night of sleep tonight. As he looked at his two sons, he had some peace about him. For a long time, before Charlie started to help at the FBI, he was worried that the two had grown so far apart that _he_ was the only thing they had in common. He wondered if they'd go years without talking to each other after he died. Now, he wasn't worried so much.

Lastly, his eyes settled on the other two. One older, almost like a brother to him, even if he was a little different. He was always grateful for the guidance he gave both of his sons. The other was the youngest male in the group, not quite like a son to him…maybe a nephew? He knew that distinction was actually of the young man's doing from when he was a teen. He had a feeling way back then that Spencer hadn't wanted to intrude on their family, even if he longed for a father figure. At least the boy turned into a good man despite of that. He was entertained as the adopted Eppes men were wrapping up their space talk while gazing at the heavens above. The two were so similar and yet completely different that it was an amusing paradox when they were together.

"So, tomorrow, I say we unpack your office and get you set up in your new prodigious place," Amita stated, pulled Alan back from his thoughts.

"Yes, and locate several books of mine that I think I left in your stuff," Larry added.

Charlie smiled, "Alright. I'm ready. After we see Spencer off, of course."

"Thanks Charlie," Reid added. "I still can't believe you're in the same office as Biederman, Newberry, Knox, Hightower and others."

"What about you, Donny? Will you be hanging out with me for the next couple weeks?" Alan asked.

"Sorry, back to full duty Monday." The group shook their heads at the fast recovery. Don took another swig of his beer, "Alright, who's up for some pool?"

"Oh, I am!" Larry stated, jumping up from his spot.

"Sounds like fun," Amita added and started to extract herself from Charlie's embrace. Alan also stood.

Reid noticed Charlie was slow to move. "Why don't you guys play the first game and we'll catch up?" Reid stood and took a seat next to Charlie.

Alan nodded; he could tell the geniuses needed a moment alone. "Sounds good." He turned to the others as they walked towards the garage. "So Eppes vs CalSci?" The group chuckled as they left the young men alone.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both staring up at the stars. "How do you feel now that its over?" Reid spoke softly.

"I…don't know. I should feel relieved that I was right and that we stopped him. And I guess I do, but…"

Reid turned his head, studying his friend. "But it doesn't erase this feeling like you caused Don to get stabbed? To almost die?" Charlie looked down at his hands, fidgeting. "Why do you think that?"

"Because I wasn't focused on the case like I should have been. I got excited by a train of thought for my cognitive emergence work and rushed through my analysis for the case because Nikki was there, wondering where it was." Charlie leaned forward, putting his head in hands. He still hadn't been able to shake the image of Don on the ventilator from his mind.

Reid sighed. "If there is one thing my time with the Bureau has taught me, it's that you can't always predict what the bad guys are up to. You use math; we use behavior. They are opposite of each other and both are effective, but neither are perfect in guessing what will happen next. We can only get as close to reality as possible and try to prevent as much as possible. But, it's not our fault when they commit a crime."

He paused and sat forward as well, putting a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Your math may always have just one correct answer, but life doesn't work that way. You can't expect it to perfectly predict everything. All you can do is try." Reid couldn't help that is mind went to back to Amanda/Adam.

Charlie nodded and turned to meet his friend's eyes. "How did you get so wise?"

Reid pushed his thoughts again and smiled, "I've had some really good teachers in my life." The pair leaned back.

Charlie studied his friend. "So, the case is done. You going to tell me what's bothering _you_ now?"

Reid shrugged. "There was a young man at a recent case. He had DID like Tobias, the one that abducted me a few years ago. I caught the signs, but I was too late. He's locked away in his mind by his protector personality. I just…"

It was Charlie's turn to put his hand on Reid's shoulder. "Didn't you just say that we can't perfectly predict things? That the best we can do is try?" Reid nodded. "So, did you try to save him?"

Reid nodded again. "Still am." Charlie just looked at him. "Yeah, okay," Reid conceded that point. He squinted at Charlie in a joking matter, "How'd you get so wise?"

"I've had some really good teachers in my life," Charlie joked back. "And students." The pair smiled at each other and Charlie pulled Reid in for a hug. "Thanks for coming out here."

Reid was still smiling when they separated from each other. "Happy to lend a hand, my friend." He paused, sighing happily. He always felt a little better after spending sometime with Charlie…even if it was mostly spent chasing a psychopath. "So, should we go show the group in there how it's done?"

Charlie smiled, remembering something from the conference call yesterday. "Sure thing, Pretty Boy."

Reid hung his head and groaned, which got a laugh from Charlie as the pair stood up and headed to the garage. Unfortunately for Charlie, Reid's eidetic memory also kicked in.

"After you, Chuck."

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, case fic done! :) Now, we're nearing the end of Numb3rs - tall end of this season and the shortened last season. I've actually already written though the series finale and two chapters beyond that. But, its a bit of struggle after that. I've gotten to the point of at least touching on the Emily situation for Reid, but I don't want this story to turn into a one-way street. I'm struggling a bit to conjure up something going on in Charlie's life (beyond babies and math, lol). So I'm debating on how are into CM I will continue. I'm trying to create an original case for both teams to work on (in person) but that's also a bit of a struggle right now. So...if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. Thanks, Ann**


	22. Fear

"Fear"

May 2009

* * *

Reid yawned and rubbed his eyes. When they opened, he groaned after remembering his was still in the hospital. Dr. Kimura was hoping to discharge him tomorrow. He reached for his jello cup, still the main food he wanted to consume after everything even though it had little nutritional value. He knew this on his own, but he suspected Dr. Kimura was worried about him since she was here earlier encouraging him to eat more. So was the nurse.

As the last spoonful of the cherry goodness entered his mouth, he heard his cell phone beep. Voicemail notification. Huh, he must have slept through it ringing. He reached over and grabbed it, looking at whom it was from. His eyebrows rose as he noted a voicemail from Charlie. He pushed play as he put it up to his ear.

" _She's…god…Spencer. I can't. Think. What if?"_

Reid just froze. What the hell? Charlie had never sounded that distressed in his life. Or disoriented. He looked at the time, realizing the call was a few hours old. Great. He looked at the time and decided to chance it. But, maybe a call to Don would be better. Or David. They had all exchanged numbers before he had left, she he had offered to aid with some profiles as needed for the team. He scrolled through his contact list and pushed one to dial.

" _Eppes."_

"Hey Don, its Spencer. I just found a voicemail from Charlie. What's going on?"

Don rubbed his face, exhausted. _"Amita's been kidnapped, kid."_

Reid sat up straight; not feeling his body aches at the moment. "What?!" Unfortunately, the startled response caused him to have a coughing attack, his lungs still recovering.

Don looked at his phone and then put it back to his ear. _"You okay? You got the flu or something?"_

Reid took a sip of water and cleared his throat as the attack lessoned. He bit his tongue; obviously he couldn't tell Don what was really wrong. "Or something. Don, is there anything I can do? Do you know who took her? Do you want a profile of them?" Reid laid back in his hospital bed again, feeling the fatigue. Maybe he could talk Hotch or Morgan into helping, afraid he was too weak to help.

" _I don't think we've got that kind of time, Spencer. I—"_ Don was interrupted by David getting him, Charlie having some kind of break in the case by Amita's code from what he could overhear. _"I gotta go."_

"Sure, good luck Don. Keep me updated and let me know if there's anything I can do."

" _You got it."_

Reid laid back down and sighed again. Who would have wanted to kidnap Amita? He yawned, his body still exhausted even if he's mind was starting to race. Should be call Alan or Larry? Clearly he needed to wait on calling Charlie back right now. He couldn't help with the case and it sounded like he was trying to help solve the case so he didn't want to be a distraction.

He still wasn't sure if he believed in a god, but he sent a silent prayer just in case. He hardly realized his were eyes closed and stayed closed until it was too late.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

He startled awake a few hours later to the sound of his phone ringing. "Reid."

" _We've got her,"_ Don stated, relief evident in his voice. _"She's okay, Spencer, she's okay."_

Reid sighed in thanks. "Thanks Don." He paused. "How is she? How's Charlie?"

Don ran his hand through his hair. _"She's a little scraped up but overall seemed to hold her own. Time will tell, I'm sure. Charlie…is rattled."_

"I can imagine."

" _I'd give him a few days to wrap his head around the past 48 hours, Spencer. Then I'm sure he'd want to talk to_ —" Spencer heard a pause and a muffled conversation. It sounded like Charlie.

" _Thanks Don."_ Charlie's voice came through the phone. _"Hey Spencer."_ Charlie had heard Don say Spencer's name when he came to thank him since the paramedics had kicked him out of the way while they checked on Amita.

Reid inhaled sharply at the sound of his friend's voice. Relief but still uneasiness was present in his tone. "Charlie. I'm so glad to hear Amita is okay. I'm so—" cough "— sorry I didn't pick up when you called—" cough "—was—" cough "—busy." That sharp inhale had started another coughing fit.

Charlie starred at his—Don's—phone. Then he remembered a missed call on his phone from a few hours—or was it days?—ago. He had noticed it when he was going through his call log after they had figured out Amita wasn't in the jeep when it exploded, hoping for a call from whoever had taken her. It was from his contact at the CDC. He glanced back at Don and took several steps away from him at the scene. He wanted to be with Amita, but he also knew he had a moment.

" _Spencer. What happened in DC? Something with the CDC, right?"_

Reid shook his head, taking a sip of water to clear his throat. How in the world did Charlie know? And more importantly, why was he worried about him right now?

"It was nothing Charlie," he lied.

" _Spencer…"_

"Nothing we couldn't handle. Go be with Amita, Charlie. I'm so relieved that she's physically okay."

Charlie caught that wording. _"You think she won't be emotionally?"_ He swallowed a new wave of fear rising up.

Reid sighed. "It's hard to say. I don't know exactly what she went through, only she does. Just be there for her, Charlie. Let her talk through what ever she wants. If she's different for awhile after this, just let her be that way, but stay with her." He paused, hesitating at what he was thinking to say next. It could open a can of worms for him. "She can talk to me if it's too much for you Charlie or if she wants to talk to someone who can relate."

Charlie closed his eyes, not able to absorb all of this information right now. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back at Don. "Amita is cleared from the paramedics. Go take her home." He nodded at his brother.

" _Thanks Spencer. Feel better."_

"Take care, Charlie." Reid hung up and sighed. He could only hope that Amita could handle the emotional turmoil that was headed her way. No one could go through that experience without having some reaction from it.

"How's my favorite patient doing?" Reid looked up at Dr. Kimura and smiled. He'd have to think about Charlie and Amita a little later.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie woke disoriented, still exhausted, even though it had been a few days since they got Amita back. They had even gotten engaged, although he was still trying to reach her parents to make it official.

He frowned when he realized what woke him. He turned to Amita in their bed and he could see the fear all over her face as she tossed and turned. "Amita…" he whispered, gently shaking her awake.

"Charlie?" he voice came out panicked, scared.

He pulled her close to him, "I'm here. It's okay, you're okay." She shook, a sob escaping her lips. He closed his eyes, pushing back his own tears. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." He heard it muffled against his chest. "I can't, Charlie, I can't do that with you."

He looked down and raised her head with his hand so he could look in her eyes. "What do you mean? I want to help you. I love you."

She sighed. "I know; I love you too. And this is helping. I just…I don't think I can tell you about that. You…wouldn't understand."

Charlie sighed. "Okay. I won't push you, Amita." He hesitated, thinking over his friend's offer. He knew Spencer went through much worse. Albeit he was trained and more prepared, but he wasn't sure he wanted Amita to talk to him if it opened old issues for his friend. He was stuck between the two. Man, he wished Megan were still here. She would be a great person for Amita to talk to, somewhere in the middle between their experiences. He studied the love of his life, noticed she was still shaking and his heart made the decision for him.

"You could talk to Spencer," he offered.

Amita looked at him confused. "So he could profile me?" She pulled back and looked away; upset at that idea.

"No," Charlie clarified quickly. "No. Amita, he's been…" She met his gaze again and Charlie took a deep breath. "A few years ago, he was kidnapped by one of the serial killers they were chasing. He was with him for a few days and was…well, if you want to talk to him, I'll let him decide how much of his story to tell you. It's not my place."

Amita gasped. "Spencer was…?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes. And while the paramedics were checking you, I talked with him briefly. He offered to talk with you if you needed someone to talk to but didn't want to talk to me. Do you want to take him up on that?"

She thought it over for a moment and nodded. Charlie grabbed his phone, hoping he was making the right decision.

Reid rolled over in bed at the sound of his phone going off. He was still on medical leave for next few days, recovering. His lungs were doing better than they had expected, but Dr. Kimura had still wanted him to take it as easy as possible. He squinted at his phone, looking at the caller ID. It shouldn't be JJ or Hotch. His eyes widened when he saw the name, knowing this couldn't be good.

"Charlie, what's wrong?"

" _Hey Spencer, I'm sorry to wake you, but Amita…"_

Reid sat up and rubbed his eyes. "It's okay. Put her on the phone, Charlie."

" _Spencer?"_

Reid's back stiffened at the sound of her voice, full of distress. He put on his interviewer hat, using the voice he reserved for victims. "Hi Amita. Are you having a rough time sleeping tonight?"

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **A/N: So, as happy as I was that Charlie and Amita got engaged, I thought they handled her kidnapping a little poorly. It was like she was fine right after it happened. I know most of it was just her on the computer but it was still a trauma that they didn't really address. So I went a little off canon to address that. I figured Reid, being well _Reid_ , would offer to help, even at the expense of himself because that's just what our favorite nerdy profiler would do.**


	23. Engagement

**A/N: Back to a little more light hearted one!**

* * *

"Engagement"

May 2009

* * *

Reid groaned as he shifted in his hospital bed. Why was he in another bed so soon? Dr. Kimura was going to have something to say about this. His lungs were just about recovered when he had to go jump on a guy and get shot in the leg by the unsub. He wasn't looking forward to all the crutch work he was going to be doing for the next several months. He sighed; he shouldn't be complaining, even if it was just in his head. He was far better off than Hotch. He shuttered to think about how that went with Foyet. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have survived that if it had been him.

His phone rang, breaking him from his revere. He looked down at the caller ID with mixed emotions. Given the last time he'd talked to Charlie, he hoped this was better news. He had since talked to Amita one other time, and she seemed to be doing better, but it was going to be a long process. "Hey Charlie."

" _Hey! Guess what?"_

Reid smiled, glad to hear the happiness in his voice. Thank god, it was good news. "What?"

" _Amita and I are getting married!"_

"Really? Congratulations, Charlie." Reid could hardly believe his ears; that wasn't what he was expecting. Particularly given what Amita had been through. He suspected that was what pushed them to get engaged. Normally, he would be worried about it being a rash decision, but he knew they'd get married eventually. These past few weeks were just what Charlie needed to actually act on his feelings.

Reid shifted in bed and let out a soft groan. "That's amazing."

" _Thanks."_ Charlie had caught that sound on the phone. _"You okay?"_

"I'm fine," Reid sighed. He hesitated telling him. He had a feeling Charlie would have been able to tell he had been holding back about the coughing issue when they talked and would have pushed more if he hadn't been so focused on Amita. He knew he wasn't going to get past him this time. "Just a gunshot wound to the leg. I'll be okay."

Charlie's eyes widened. _"Really? What happened?"_

Reid told him the short version of this past case. He omitted Hotch and Foyet from the story. For some reason, that didn't feel like Reid's story to tell.

"So I'll be on crutches for a while and probably a cane, but I'll be okay. I'm going to get a lot of upper body workout."

Charlie chuckled, knowing exercise wasn't high on either of their lists of priorities. _"That's good, I suppose. How long are you going to be out?"_

"Hopefully only a month or so before I can at least travel with the team. Doctor seems to think longer than that, but I might get a second opinion."

Charlie paused, trying to decide if he should question that statement or not. Then again, Don had gone back to work in just under two months after he was stabbed so…

Reid noticed the pause in the conversation and didn't want to give Charlie room to poke through that statement. "So how long have you been engaged?"

" _Well, technically, I asked about a week ago, shortly after we got her back. But she wanted me to check with her parents, who are in India…"_


	24. Admiration

"Admiration"

October 2009

* * *

Charlie sat in his office, wondering about Larry. He had left. Again. He had reached the point of critical mass, he said. Needed to shed the theoretical and focus on the here and now. Charlie couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than that. He had left all his work in the tunnels to him – to his son. There was a part of him that was honored by the fact that Larry felt that way about him as in many ways he saw him as a father figure as well. Not to dishonor his relationship with Alan by any means, but there were times when Larry understood him better. He was his mentor, his guide, in the world of academia. His dad was his guide in life.

The fact that his mentor had left – and this time he wasn't sure he was coming back – reminded him of his good friend. And he didn't have a father. Charlie frowned. Sometimes he marveled at how adjusted Spencer really was. He knew that he liked to ramble facts as a way to contribute to a conversation when he was uncomfortable or as a way to impress others that seemed to be judging him, but really that seemed like a minor coping mechanism in the grand scheme of things. Particularly given his genius status and his difficult childhood. Charlie smiled to himself. For what had started as a pity party for himself about Larry leaving sure has turned into admiration party for Spencer.

He grabbed his phone.

" _Dr. Reid."_

"Hey Spencer."

Reid raised an eyebrow at the unusual tone from Charlie. _"You okay?"_

Charlie spun in his office chair. "Yeah."

" _Okay, I don't need to be profiler to know that's a lie."_

Charlie chuckled, "Okay, I concede that. Larry left."

Reid ran a hand through his hair. Even a few years removed from Gideon leaving, it still stung a bit. He was hopeful that someday he'd see his mentor again, but he had finally reached peace with Gideon's need to leave the BAU. He just wasn't thrilled with the fact that he couldn't talk to him about things. He was appreciative of the fact that the rest of the team seemed to see that and filled in. In some ways, he was a lot closer to the rest of the team _because_ Gideon had left so maybe he should be grateful in some way.

Shaking his head, Reid focused back on the conversation at hand. _"When? Did he say why?"_ He had always known that Larry was off kilter.

"A few days ago. He mentioned too much technological clutter and needing to get back in touch with real world. He turned down going to Geneva and dropped his application for the Wolf Grant."

Reid's eyes widened, knowing those were big deals. _"Wow. Where did he go?"_

Charlie sighed. "I don't know. He didn't know when he left, but had narrowed it down to five places. Although who knows if he actually went to one of those."

Reid thought for a moment. _"Well, Charlie, if I'm honest with you, I think Larry has always been a bit…eccentric."_

Charlie chuckled. "You say that like this is news to me."

It was Reid's turn to laugh. _"Touché. But my point is that the fact that he's never been one to follow a traditional path in life. He took different jobs before we met him, including the DoD and had interesting research. And since I've worked with the BAU he's lived in steam tunnels, went to space, lived in a monastery…"_

Charlie couldn't help the laugh that came out. "Okay, I get it. I didn't exactly pick a reliable mentor."

" _Yeah, well, we have that in common,"_ Reid sighed.

Charlie sighed as well. "Apparently. I'm sorry this brought up that memory."

" _Don't be. I'm okay. Maybe someday I'll see him again. Just like you and Larry."_ Reid paused. _"And for what it's worth, I suspect you'll see Larry before I'll see Gideon. Larry may have a need for clarity right now, but he doesn't seem like the type to just completely cut off ties."_ Unlike Gideon.

"Well thanks for that thought." Charlie commented. His thoughts went back to right before his call. He cleared his throat. "Spencer, I have ever told you that I admire you?"

Reid blushed and coughed, uncomfortable by the attention. _"What?"_

"Right before I called, I was thinking about Larry and how he is like a dad to me. But at least I still have my father around even if Larry doesn't come back. You…"

" _Thanks Charlie. But, you know I'm not the only human being to have their dad leave them as a kid. And I have great people in my life now that are my support system in different ways. My mom, my team, Henry…you."_

Charlie smiled. "And I have you." He paused. "Can we make a pact to not wander away from each other like our mentors? At least not without having a way to contacting each other."

Reid chuckled. _"Sure, Charlie."_


	25. Office Visit

"Office Visit"

November 2009

* * *

"Hey Rossi, how's JJ?" Reid sat on the stool next to the case board, getting ready to take it down. Morgan was helping Lieutenant Kim process Davies' manager and Emily was in with Davies right now. Hotch had gone to the hospital with Rossi and JJ, although he was there to help get Gina checked in. Reid hated feeling so useless while the rest of the team had been in the field. These crutches were the reason he wasn't with JJ to begin with and he hated that she got hurt.

" _The doctor says she's going to be okay. We should be headed back to the office to wrap up once she's done getting her discharge paperwork,"_ Rossi replied.

"Okay, great," he answered, catching Emily's eyes as she entered the conference area. He noticed Morgan was headed this way too. "We'll see you in a bit." Rossi bid goodbye and Reid pocketed his phone.

"How is she?" Morgan asked as soon as he entered, cutting off Emily from asking the same thing.

"Rossi said she's okay. They should be headed back with Hotch soon." The pair nodded at him and the group silently went about taking down their case files. Morgan sat down to make some notes for when he completed his report later. None of them noticed a group walk up.

"Well you guys sure know how to make a spectacle when you all come into town."

Reid turned at the voice, recognizing it immediately. "Don, hey!" He hopped up and grabbed his crutches to greet them, hobbling a few steps to meet them. He nodded at the other agents as he shook Don's hand, noting Charlie wasn't with them. Emily and Morgan turned to the new group.

"Yeah, thanks for all the press out front, made parking a pain," teased Colby.

David jokingly punched Colby in the arm. "Ignore him. I'm just a little bummed you didn't walk over a few blocks and visit, Reid." He nodded at the sight before him. "Although I now see you would've been better off driving, even in our traffic, to do that."

"Yeah, Doc, watcha do?" Nikki added. Morgan cleared his throat, catching Reid's attention.

He turned to his two teammates, "Guys, this is the team I worked with on that Stealth Predator case a few month ago, remember?" He went through introductions again for the group. Emily and Morgan came over and shook everyone's hands.

"Right, I almost forgot about that," Emily commented. "It's good to meet you all in person." That seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then…anthrax, Canada, Hotch, Morgan taking over as Unit Chief…

"Good to meet you," Morgan seconded.

Don turned back to Reid, "So seriously, Spencer, what the heck did you do?" His hand waved at the crutches.

Reid tilted his head in thought. "Charlie didn't tell you I got shot in the leg?"

Don shook his head, "Nope. Well, he has been distracted with the wedding planning." _And Larry leaving_ , Don added in thought, but didn't vocalize. That was a rough time for him too since he had to face his mentor in a very different way.

Reid chuckled. "Gotta say, that's a sentence I wasn't sure I'd hear in regards to Charlie. Glad he finally asked Amita."

"So geniuses _can_ find love?" Morgan asked. Reid looked at him. "I'm so dragging out to more bars with me, Pretty Boy." He momentarily forgot he was in charge of the team and let that nickname slip. That got chuckles from the group and Reid rolled his eyes.

That reminded Colby, "So, does that tech girl of yours travel with the team?" he looked around, not noticing Morgan's eyes narrow protectively.

"She stays at Quantico most of the time." The new voice caused the group to turn. Once the LA crew noticed the blond with an icepack, they immediately shifted so she could sit down.

"JJ, please sit." Reid hobbled over to a chair and pulled it out for her. "Are you okay?"

"Thanks Spence. I'm fine." JJ took a seat the table as Hotch and Rossi followed behind her.

"What's going on here? Having a party without us?" asked Rossi.

Hotch, however, recognized the group. "Agent Eppes, just a social visit or were you at the LAPD office for a reason?" He stuck his hand out and shook Don's. He nodded at the rest, "Granger, Sinclair, Betancourt."

Rossi raised an eyebrow, "Look who's showing off their memory now? The agents from Reid's solo case, right?" He shook their hands as well. JJ waved.

Don smiled. "Actually, I was on my way over here to meet with a buddy in the gang division when Colby here remembered seeing that you were in town." Reid smiled that they cared enough to want to say hello. Don opened his mouth to add something but was cut off.

"Don, there you are. I thought we were meeting-Spencer!"

"How many more people are going to come down here?" Emily whispered to Morgan, receiving a chuckle in response.

"Charlie, hey," Reid greeted. Charlie wrapped an arm around Reid's shoulders since the crutches were in the way for a hug. Reid's team noticed how at ease he was with that body contact, which was different for them.

"I forgot you texted that you were coming into town. How's the knee?"

"It's getting there. Should be hopefully onto a cane soon."

"Way to tell me he was shot, bro," Don teased.

Charlie opened his mouth to reply but Reid cut him off. "Charlie, I'd like to you finally meet my team in person. These are Agents Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Aaron Hotchner and Jennifer Jareau. Guys, my old professor, Charles Eppes."

Charlie enthusiastically shook everyone's hand, although was a little gentler with JJ, noting her injury. "Old professor, huh, Spencer? You say that like I'm _way_ more than just five years older than you." Reid grinned in amusement.

"So did Davies really do it?" David asked, nodding his head to the boards. Emily and Hotch had turned back to the boards take things down.

Reid shook his head. "No. His manager tricked a mentally ill fan of his to do it."

The LA group shook their heads and sighed at that revelation. "You guys want to go out for a few drinks before you head back to DC?" asked Colby.

Charlie smirked. "Or you could see if Lila is free, Spencer. I'm pretty sure she's filming a movie in town. You're going to need a date for my wedding, after all."

JJ, Morgan and even Hotch laughed at that. Well, Hotch smirked. Although JJ ended up moaning at the pain in her head when she laughed. Reid groaned. "Not you too. It's been over three years."

"Okay, I seriously have got to know," Emily commented. Reid hung his head to chuckles. JJ mouthed 'later' to her and she grinned.

Charlie opened his mouth to say something else, but Reid cut him off. "Keep it up and I'll make sure Penfield gives a toast at the reception, Professor. Or, better yet, objects during the ceremony with a flaw in the methodology of your vows." That got a laugh from Eppes' team.

Don grinned. "I have to say, I'm loving this, Chuck." Reid snorted at the name he knew his friend hated as Charlie glared at his brother and then at Reid. "It's nice seeing you be pestered by your 'little brother' for a change. Now you know how it feels."

The rest of the agents in the room were expecting protests or some sort of comment from the geniuses at that remark. However, Charlie and Reid just smiled at each other as both enjoyed that commentary about their relationship.

"Well, Reid, I don't suppose you guys have time for that card game we talked about the last time?" Nikki asked. She wanted to see with her own eyes how good Charlie claimed the BAU agent was.

Morgan sighed, "Afraid not, guys. We've got to wrap up a bit here and then head back." Don bit his tongue as to why Morgan as speaking as the leader instead of Hotchner. What had changed here?

"Unless you're a masochist, you really don't want to play poker with him anyway," Rossi added with a smirk. That got chuckles from the BAU group. The boards were now cleared.

"Oh good, you're still here." Lieutenant Kim entered the room. He stopped and looked at Don. "Eppes, what are you doing here?" They had worked on joint cases before.

"Just visiting the BAU team. The good Doc here helped us out with that serial case awhile back and the rest aided with the profile via webcam. Good job on this vampire case," Don answered.

"Vampirist," Reid corrected. "Gina suffers from Renfield's syndrome or human blood consumption. Along with schizophrenia. She actually wants to consume and worship the blood." He paused. "It's more than just wearing black and fake teeth."

Emily raised an eyebrow, "Did you just make a joke?"

"Hmm?" Reid asked, oblivious. That got a few chuckles from the group.

"Right, anyway. Thanks again guys." Lieutenant Kim shook their hands. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm hoping I don't see you again in a few years."

"None taken," Hotch stated.

"Okay guys, let's get on the road," Morgan added. He turned back Eppes' team. "Sorry, Reid will have to take your money another time." The group nodded as the BAU team and LA team bid each other goodbye.

"Nice to see you again Reid. Next time you're in LA, try to take an actual vacation, huh?" Colby teased as David, Nikki and himself exited the room. Most of the BAU team wandered out too. Don and Charlie paused as they watched Reid attempt help JJ out of her chair. Attempt, mainly because his crutches were making it difficult.

"I'm good, Spence. Thank you," she squeezed his arm. "Nice to meet both you." She turned to Charlie. "Someday, I really want to hear some stories of what Spence was like in college."

Charlie smiled, "That can be arranged." JJ beamed and left the room.

"Take better care of yourself, okay, Spencer? Apparently I can't rely on this guy to tell me what's going on with you on the east coast. First the flu and then you get shot." Don commented, shaking Reid's hand.

Reid nodded, biting back a comment about the 'flu.' He didn't notice Charlie raise an eyebrow at the flu comment as well, but Charlie knew better than to ask. "I'll try Don. You do the same." The older Eppes then left the room as well.

Charlie turned back to Reid. "Well at least for a change we actually saw each other while you were in town on a case…that wasn't mine." The pair smiled. Charlie became serious for a moment. "Thanks for everything with Amita. Your talks helped immensely."

Reid nodded, "Don't mention it. Has she had any recent nightmares?" Charlie shook his head. "Good to hear." He paused. "I need to…" he nodded towards the door.

Charlie nodded and started to walk with him to the elevators. "I'll send you the wedding date once have it settled. If I can't find Larry, I expect you to be there as a groomsman. Date or no date."

Reid smiled, "You got it."


	26. Games

A/N: Shout out to KMW1968 for reminding me about Reid's little trip for a conference at the beginning of "Outfoxed." Had to find some time to sit down and write that before moving on to the chapter I had planned to follow the last one in order to keep with our time line. Thanks for the continued support. Still pondering Charlie's life post-show a bit, but I appreciate all that sent me suggestions/feedback to think about.

* * *

"Games"

November 2009

* * *

Reid eyed Charlie from the passenger seat of the mathematician's car. He was oddly quiet, which was unsettling the profiler. "You okay man?"

That got a raised eyebrow and a quick glance from the driver. "Man?"

Reid shrugged and smiled, grateful he got him to at least speak. "Morgan's rubbing off on me, I guess. Now answer the question."

Charlie sighed. "Guess I'm still a little unsettled from this last case." He went on to describe the video game turned real life that sucked in Amita and nearly got her killed. Reid squinted in thought, wondering if that was just her excitement to help or something deeper from her experience months ago. He may need to call her since he doubted he'd get alone time with her this weekend. Not without raising any red flags and only the three of them knew Reid had been talking to her about her abduction.

"You know, you could've told me this before and I would've found a different way to Irvine for Dr. Fallon's presentation." Reid had heard of the talk on the team's way out of LA two weeks ago and immediately booked a ticket back to hear it. Charlie had offered to drive him down to the University of California's campus. He was going to meet up with some of his former students turned professors down there before bringing Reid back up for a day in LA.

Charlie shook his head. "No, it's fine. I needed some time to think and driving helps." At least Reid was okay without music on; something he was learning to deal with when in the car with Amita. He smiled softly, remembering their failed attempt to get to another conference.

"Mmhm," Reid murmured, deciding to let that go. He stretched his knee some, shifting in the seat. The public airplane trip hadn't been the most conducive for his rehab.

Charlie caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. "How's that knee? I was surprised I saw you on one crutch."

"Yeah, I think I'm steadier on one than two for whatever reason," he joked. "Doc finally gave me the all clear to downgrade as I feel comfortable. I'll probably switch to a can soon."

"Well, be sure to report that to Don or he'll never let me hear the end of it for not updating him," Charlie teased. The pair smiled; amused that Don had apparently decided to take Reid under his wing a bit.

"So how's that office working out for you?"

* * *

"So what you're saying is, increased levels of serotonin in the womb cause brain damage and create serial killers. And there's nothing we can do about," Don stated, taking a sip of his beer at the dining room table the next day. They were finally sitting down to that poker game after the rest of the team arrived. Amita was finishing up some grading, opting out of the game tonight. Again, something that Reid took note of. Currently it was just the Eppes men and the adopted Eppes man. "Well that's comforting."

Reid shook head as he finished chewing on his pretzel. "No. The monoamine oxidase A, or MAOA gene, contributes to create an environment with increased serotonin in the womb. That makes the adult version of the fetus unreceptive to its effects. That has the making of a psychopath like Posdner," Reid referenced his case with the team. "We've known that there was some genetic component to what creates psychopaths, this was showing what it appears to be." He leaned forward some, grabbing another pretzel off his dinner plate, the pizza already gone. "But, not all psychopaths become killers and not all killers are psychopaths."

Alan studied Reid for a moment. "So is there a way to test and do something about that?"

Reid furrowed his brow. "Test, yes, but I think it's too soon to start to implement something to change things. Besides, there are multiple variations of the MAOA gene, some of which are beneficial. Then you have to factor in that environment also plays a role in how some would turn into serial killers."

Alan and Don nodded. Charlie opened his mouth when David and Colby entered, the latter speaking. "Doc, finally going to show off these supposed card skills, I see?"

David shook his head as he headed into the kitchen to grab some food and a beer. "I'm gonna laugh when he takes all your money first, Colby."

Charlie and Reid shared an amused glance as Reid's phone buzzed. "No, you can't be called to a case right now," Don protested. He was curious about his poker skills too, but he'd seen how good Larry was and knew not to underestimate the younger man.

Reid dug out his phone and read the text from JJ. "No. I just have to meet them at the crime scene tomorrow after I land."

Alan shook his head. "Not sure if that's a good thing that it's in your backyard or not, Spencer."

Reid nodded and sighed. "Me neither." David returned with two beers and two plates of food, handing one of each off to Colby. They passed some idle chitchat as the guys ate, waiting on Nicki and Liz to get there.

Only the next phone to make noise was Don's. The group groaned. "Hey Liz." He nodded to the two agents who reluctantly pushed away from the table, shoving in the last of their pizza. "Yeah, we'll be right there." He sighed. "We're never going to have this game, are we?"

Charlie smirked. "It might be fate trying to tell you guys something."

Reid bit his lip, holding in a chuckle, before taking another sip of his beer. "Sorry guys." The agents nodded and waved as they headed out the door, leaving Reid with Alan and Charlie.

The senior Eppes turned to Reid. "Now, I know I'll likely regret this just as much as they would with poker, but Charlie has mentioned you like to play chess. I can't get him to play me anymore, would you like to play a game?"

Reid took a deep breath. He hadn't played a game since he had run through all the permutations after Gideon left. He hadn't even been back to the park where he'd mentor some of the chess kids in well over a year. Was he ready to play again?

Charlie studied him, knowing what he was thinking of. He had forgotten he'd mentioned that to his dad awhile back. He wasn't sure if he should be regretting that decision or not at this moment.

Reid looked up from his plate and met Alan's eyes. "Sure."


	27. Support

"Support"

November 2009

* * *

Reid stared at his ceiling, still shell shocked. He had seen the worst of humanity during his time on the team, but this…

Hotch looked so broken, not that he could blame him. What the Reaper, what Foyet, did to Haley… Reid shut his eyes, trying to will that image away. Then to see what Foyet looked like before Morgan finally pulled Hotch off of him. His boss had never lost control like that. Granted, he also hadn't lost the love of his life before, but it worried Reid. Would he ever be able to get back the person he was before? No, of course not. But…would he crack and leave like Gideon did? He knew it was selfish to want Hotch to stay, but he couldn't help what he was feeling.

His phone rang and he groaned in frustration as he blindly reached for it. "What?"

Charlie's eyes widened at the tone. _"Whoa, Spencer."_

"Oh, hey. Sorry," Reid sighed, back to staring at the ceiling.

" _I was just calling to thank you for your help on those swarmbots,"_ Charlie stated. Reid had offered some suggestions months ago to the engineering students that were working to improve them ever since that train derailment case last year. _"They seem to be working much better now."_

Reid rubbed his eyes. "That's great, Charlie. I'm glad I helped in some way."

Charlie could hear the pain in his voice. _"What happened?"_

Reid sighed. How much to tell him? Should he tell him? He hadn't told him about Hotch's initial attack months ago as it didn't seem right at the time. But he wondered if he could really talk about it with the team since each were trying to come to terms with it themselves.

Charlie waited him out, becoming worried after a minute of silence. _"That bad?"_

"Yeah," Reid mumbled. "Do you remember hearing anything about the Boston Reaper being captured and then escaping during transfer last year?"

" _Yes,"_ Charlie swallowed. He didn't like where this was going. _"Who…"_

"Hotch's wife." Reid bit back a sob, feeling the tears coming. He then launched into the whole story, about how Hotch refused to make a deal with Foyet, how he attacked him in his apartment, the witness protection for Haley and Jack, Morgan taking over the team, the Marshal being killed and Haley being tricked back to the house, and up to thankfully finding Jack safe. "I've just…never…" Reid swallowed.

Charlie felt some of his own tears fall. _"I'm so sorry."_

Reid heaved a heavy sigh. "Thanks. I…" Words were failing him. Charlie had a feeling at to what his friend was trying to convey. His own grief, his sadness for his friend and boss, the anger that they couldn't protect her, his worry for Jack, his fear of Haley's death's impact on Hotch and the team as a whole, and his guilt for even thinking about that right now. All were mixed together, making hard for even a genius to process.

" _I know, Spencer, I know."_

Sometimes they didn't need words to support each other.

* * *

 **A/N: Meh, I'm not overly fond of this one. But, I couldn't decide on how Reid would be feeling or how Charlie could possibly talk him through it so there you go.**

 **Now, I'm sure everyone is aware of the weird review issue going on with the site. Please feel free to still try to send them as I've been able to read them in the email notification, they are just not posting and I can't reply. If you really want comment on something back, you may want to send a PM. I thought about waiting to update until that was fixed, but since they don't appear to addressing it right now, that wasn't fair to you guys. Anywho, thanks for the continued support!**


	28. New Journey

**A/N: Reviews are working again, yay! Anywho, we've reached the end of Numb3rs! So the series finale aired in March. But, how would Charlie and Amita be able to just take off in the middle of the semester? It was originally meant to air in the beginning of May, which would have made more sense. So that's what I'm going with. Post "Exit Wounds" aka Alaska for CM.**

* * *

"New Journey"

May 2010

* * *

Charlie sighed as he stared out the windows at Reagan International Airport. Well, they were off to a great start for this England adventure. They were supposed to be a direct flight from LAX to Heathrow, but had been delayed in DC for an hour.

He leaned over and kissed Amita on the temple, wrapping an arm around her. "Sorry, babe," he whispered. "We're not off to the best of starts, are we?"

Amita smiled at her husband. "It's okay. Not like we can control the weather."

"Attention all passengers for Flight 850 to Heathrow. Due to the extreme weather over the Atlantic, we are afraid to announce the flight is cancelled until the morning. We will do our best to get you on a…"

Charlie groaned as the overhead announcement finished. "Well, we're stuck. What would you like to do?"

Amita thought for a moment. "Well, we should see if we can find a hotel. And then something to eat would be good." She pushed some of Charlie's curls aside, resting her hand on his cheek. "Doesn't Spencer live here? Maybe he'd have a good suggestion."

Charlie grinned and his eyes lit up at that idea. "You're right. He's probably out of town on a case, but maybe he can give us some tips or his friend Penelope can help." He pulled out his phone and dialed.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid yawned over his file at his desk. Something about rainy days that really made him extra tired. Although it could also still be jetlag from coming back from Alaska a few days ago. He shuddered, not particularly wanting to remember that case. No one on that team did, particularly their now redheaded tech goddess. Thank god tomorrow as the weekend and he could catch up on some sleep. He yawned again as he phone rang. "Dr. Reid."

" _Hey Spencer, you busy?"_

Reid smiled as he grabbed his coffee cup and headed to the break area. One last cup to last him for the remaining few hours of work. "Hey Charlie. Not really. What's up?"

" _Well Amita and I were on our way to Heathrow and are stuck overnight in DC due to the storm…"_

Reid paused while pouring his coffee. "Why are you going to Heathrow?"

Charlie's eyes widened. Oops. He had been so caught up in packing, helping Don find his gun and _getting married_ that he hadn't talked to Spencer since it all happened. _"Um, well…"_ He paused. _"Are you in town to get dinner?"_ This should probably be news he told him in person, if possible.

"Yeah. We just got back from a case a few days ago and are on stand down so I can meet you. Do you have a place to stay the night?" Reid stirred in his sugar, pondering. There were some events going on the area so that could making finding a last minute place difficult. He could offer his room and sleep on the couch.

" _No, we were looking for a suggestion on that too, actually."_

Reid noticed Rossi and Garcia walk by. Hmm. "Do you think you can make it to Quantico okay by yourselves? I can put your name down at the front desk to get you visitor passes. I have a little bit of work left to do, but while you're on your way I can see what I can do about a place to stay and make us a dinner reservation."

" _That shouldn't be an issue. We can get there in what, about an hour?"_ Reid confirmed that's how long it would take. _"See you soon."_

Reid pocketed his phone and took a sip of his coffee. He stopped at his desk first, calling the lobby and adding their names. He then headed to Garcia's office and knocked.

"Enter the lair of awesomeness!" he heard through the door and couldn't stop the smile on his face. It amazed him how she had seemed to brush off things. Or at least put up a brave front. He knew Morgan was working on helping her through everything.

"Hey Garcia, I have a favor to ask," he greeted as he entered the room. Garcia, in a hot pink top and a black and white polka-dotted skirt today spun her chair and faced him. She was grateful for a distraction from her thoughts.

"Hit me, blackjack. What do you need?" She gestured for him to take a seat and he did.

"Charlie and Amita are stuck in town overnight due to a flight delay. Do you think could work some magic and find them a nice hotel for the night? I'll give you my credit card information."

Garcia cringed. "I'll try, but I gotta tell you, my sweet, that there is a lot going on this weekend. It's going to be tough. But if there is a room available that doesn't have creepy crawlies in it, I'll find it. Give me a few minutes, okay?"

Reid nodded, afraid of that. "Okay thanks. If nothing else they can crash with me, but I was hoping to do something nice. I still haven't gotten them an engagement present."

"Aww," Garcia gushed. "You're so sweet, Reid. I'll come find you in a few."

Reid nodded as he left, heading to Rossi's office next, knocking as well. "Hey, kiddo, what's up?" Rossi asked, looking up from his file.

"Hey. Charlie and Amita are stuck in town overnight due to a flight delay. I've got Garcia helping me find them a place to stay. I'm taking them out to dinner and thought you'd be the one to ask for a nice place to take them…and maybe help me get a last minute reservation?"

The pair didn't notice Morgan walking by to hear the tail end of that conversation. "Ooooh, does the kid have a date tonight?"

Rossi smirked as Reid rolled his eyes. "Yes, with Charlie and Amita."

"Oh, teach and his lady are in town? I think I should come along, learn a little more about teenage Spencer Reid."

"Oh, team dinner?" Emily walked by. "I don't have plans."

Reid groaned. Sometimes his team was just too nosy. But, after having grown up with basically no friends, he wouldn't have it any other way. He thought about it; the team probably could do with some fun, even if it was at the expense of him. He just wanted to see them all smile a bit after these past few days, well few months really, himself included. He didn't think Charlie and Amita would mind. Rossi looked at him. "Your choice, Reid. It doesn't have to be. Frankly, it's a little sad that no one seems to have plans on a Friday night."

Reid couldn't help the laugh at that. "I'll check with them, but I don't think they'll mind. That's if you can find a place to take a reservation for everyone."

Rossi nodded, "I'm sure I can make that work." He looked at Morgan and Emily. "You want to see if the rest want to come so I have a head count?" They grinned and nodded. Morgan went to find JJ and Garcia; Emily went to work on Hotch. Reid looked back at the senior agent. "If Garcia can't find a place, they are welcome to stay at mine. It's not like I don't have plenty of space. I can even have a car service take them to the airport in the morning."

"Really, Rossi? That seems like too much to ask. They can stay with me."

Rossi raised an eyebrow, "In your one bedroom apartment? Please, it's no bother." Reid nodded his assent. "Now what kind of food do you think they'd like?"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie shook his jacket as the newlyweds entered the FBI headquarters, shaking off some of the raindrops. It didn't take long for them to find themselves walking into the bullpen for the BAU with their carry on bags. Thankfully they packed a few things to carry on and could make due without their checked bags for the night.

Emily noticed them first. "Dr. Eppes," she greeted, shaking Charlie's hand. "And you must be Amita. Emily Prentiss, nice to meet you." The women shook hands. Reid and Morgan soon appeared. Morgan shook the couple's hands as well.

"Hi Spencer, it's good to see you again," Amita greeted and pulled Reid into a hug, surprising the group. He did hug her back, however. He knew it was her way of thanking him for their talks, particularly when he picked them up again after her other close call. He was just glad he had helped.

"You too Amita." He turned to Charlie. "Charlie," Reid grinned as they hugged as well.

"Spencer, thanks for this." The pair pulled apart.

"Oh! Don't forget me!" The group turned to a red, pink and black blur coming at them. She stopped in front of them. "It's so awesome to meet you in person, Charlie! Is it okay if I call you Charlie? And you must be Amita, so great to meet you too."

"Breathe, baby girl, you're scaring them," Morgan teased.

Reid smiled, "Charlie, Amita, meet Penelope Garcia." The pair shook her hands.

"Hi! So, I'm so so sorry, but I couldn't find you a hotel. Well, I could, but I wouldn't let a dog sleep there so…"

Charlie frowned and ran his left hand through his hair. Something caught Reid's eye. So that was part of their news. "Don't worry guys," he nodded towards one of the offices. "Rossi has offered to put you up for the night and get you a car to take you to the airport in the morning."

Charlie's eyes widened, "Wow. He doesn't-"

"Sure I do." Rossi stated, coming down the to the group. "I have plenty of space and resources. What fun are they if I don't share with friends…or friends of friends."

"Well thank you very much," Amita stated, shaking his hand.

"Hey guys, sorry I can't join you for dinner. Need some time with my guys," JJ greeted. "Nice to meet you, Amita, I'm JJ. Good to see you again Charlie. If you share stories, I expect you guys—" she pointed at Morgan and Prentiss "—to fill me in later." Reid rolled his eyes but smiled. She waved goodbye and left the group.

"Oh! Teenage Reid stories, that is happening!" Garcia exclaimed and clapped.

Charlie sent Reid a confused but amused look. "So, I went to Rossi here for a restaurant recommendation and next thing I knew, everyone but JJ and Hotch invited themselves along. Hope that's okay?"

Amita smiled, "Fine by me. Maybe you can tell me some young Professor Eppes stories too." Reid's eyes sparkled and Charlie shook his head.

"Have fun you guys, see you Monday," Hotch stated as he walked by.

Morgan turned back to the group, "So where are we eating, Dave?"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

The group was settled into a large circular booth, wine in front of them, while they waited on their food. Reid cleared his throat. "So, Charlie, I'm a little hurt that I missed the big day." He waved his hand at Charlie's left hand.

Charlie smiled softly and shook his head. "Damn profilers. Couldn't let me ease into the topic huh?"

"You got married already?" asked Emily.

Amita nodded. "Well, it happened spur of the moment."

The group of profilers looked at the couple. Charlie turned to meet Reid's eyes, who was next to him in the booth. "I'm – we're – doing a year long professorship at Oxford."

Reid's eyes went wide with excitement and he wrapped an arm around Charlie, the best he could do as hug given the seating arrangement. "Wow, Charlie, that's amazing!" Congratulations were offered from everyone at the table. When it settled down some, Reid continued, his arm sliding back to his side. "I'm so happy for the both of you." He looked at Amita. "So the wedding had to happen beforehand to honor your Hindu traditions and not be living with him out of wedlock?" Amita nodded and smiled. Reid looked back at Charlie. "Okay, then you're forgiven for not having me there. Was Larry at least?"

Charlie chuckled, "He officiated."

Then Reid did something the group hadn't seen. He laughed a full on belly laugh. They'd seen him chuckle and smirk, but never like this. They hadn't seen him this…relaxed, since he – or they, depending on the person – joined the team. Garcia secretly wished she had a camcorder. Reid was oblivious to their reactions. "Larry? Please tell me what he said."

Amita smiled softly, "It was actually beautiful."

Charlie nodded; remembering every word, even though he wasn't the one with the eidetic memory. "There are four fundamental principles of physics – electromagnetism, strong nuclear interaction, weak nuclear interaction, and gravity. Those are the forces that bind the universe. But what binds humans? Love. Powerful in small spaces, yet with profound effect on distance. Love defies time; outliving both it's source and its object. Love is faster than light, for light requires time in order to travel through space. But love reaches its object instantaneously. Love journeys forever, into infinity. And it's here, binding together two lives."

Charlie took Amita's hand as he said this and then turned and kissed her softly. Garcia and Emily had tears falling; Reid was close to following them. Morgan and Rossi were moved as well. Rossi secretly wished that Hotch had heard this for it could have been something for him to hold onto while still grieving Haley.

Reid cleared his throat of the emotion. "Wow. I think I owe Larry an apology." He lifted his wine glass, "Since I don't think I can top that, I'll simply say congratulations. May this new journey be full of love and happiness…and math." He clanked glasses with Charlie and Amita before the rest of the table joined in.

"Thanks Spencer." Charlie smiled.

That got Garcia's attention. "So, Teach, you have got to have at _least_ one fun story about young Reid before he was young Doctor Reid, right?" The geniuses exchanged a look and grinned. "Oh! Like did he do magic back then too?"

For the second time (but not the last time) that night, the BAU team watched Reid laugh hard as Charlie groaned.


	29. Sabbatical

**A/N: Anyone else remember the beginning of CM season 7, which points out that while Hotch was doing his overseas duty, Reid was _not_ on the team? That just JJ, Morgan and Rossi (with Garcia) were taking cases. Also during the congressional review, Reid didn't ask to be reinstated to the team. These next two chapters will address both of those topics. Things that I felt the writers planted seeds for but never really elaborated on, aside from his trust issues with the team for the latter. After these two, I'm still working on what I'm doing so posting will be more sporadic.**

* * *

"Sabbatical"

May 2011

* * *

Charlie frowned as he looked through their mail. He hadn't heard from Spencer for a few months. He knew his friend had an aversion to email, only using his work one when necessary. They had difficulty catching each other on the phone given Spencer's odd work schedule and the time difference. So, they had taken to writing letters for the year. He was starting to worry. Spencer hadn't been happy about JJ leaving the team, but that had been a while ago. Surely he'd adjusted by now. He also knew about the headaches, having tried some of his contacts with the CDC to find the best to help Spencer figure those out. He was worried that things had taken a turn for the worse and he was just out of the loop on something else important. He knew he'd be back in America in about about a month – just enough to wrap up classes and spend a little free time in the city after packing up – but he didn't want to wait until then.

"Hey," Amita greeted. She planted a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, she noted he still had a frown on his face. "What's wrong?" She saw the mail. "Still no letter from Spencer?"

Charlie shook his head, "No. And this isn't like him. Even when he was in the academy and was really busy, we still talked or sent notes from time to time." He met her eyes. "I'm concerned."

Amita was concerned too. Spencer had helped her during her time in need and if he needed them, they would do what they could to help. "Well, I have Penelope's and Emily's contact information from when we saw them in DC. Why don't we give them a call?" She glanced at the clock. "It should just be mid morning for them, it's probably a good time unless they are on a case. It's worth a shot at least."

Charlie nodded and Amita pulled out her phone as they took a seat at the table. She rattled off Emily's number first.

 _"The number you have dialed is no longer in service."_ _  
_  
Charlie's brow wrinkled. "Are you sure you told me the right number?" Amita said the numbers again and Charlie got the same thing. "Maybe you stored it wrong. Let me try Penelope." He tried that number and got ringing.

 _"Garcia."_ _  
_  
"Hi Penelope, it's Charlie Eppes, Spencer's friend."

 _"Oh hi. What can I do for you?"_ Charlie noted she didn't seem as energetic as usual. He'd had limited interactions with her, but she still seemed off based on that data.

"With me being in London, Spencer and I agreed to exchange letters instead of trying to catch each other on the phone, but I haven't heard from him for a few months. Is everything okay with him?"

He heard her sigh. _"Oh Charlie, no it's not. We've had a really rough several months. First JJ got pulled to the Pentagon. And then Emily..."_ Her breath hitched. _"Emily died."_ _  
_  
Charlie's heart sank. She had seemed so sweet and kind at that dinner. "When...when did that happen?"

 _"Eight weeks ago,"_ Garcia sniffed. _"God I can't believe it's been two months."_ Morgan and her had been working so hard on finding Doyle that she hadn't allowed herself to truly process the time.

Charlie sighed. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Penelope, truly."

 _"Thank you, Teach. But you were calling about Reid. He's taken this really hard. Well, we all have, but he's like me in that he has such a tender heart. I bet he could do with some time with his favorite professor. Why don't you send me your schedule and I'll arrange some time for him to video chat with you in my office? I can lure him here with cookies."_

Charlie chuckled softly at her sweet offer. "That sounds great. Let me get your email address." They exchanged information for Charlie to email his schedule. "Thanks again Penelope. Please pass on my condolences to the rest of your team."

 _"Will do. I'm glad you reached out, Charlie. The rest of us have others in our lives we can lean on besides the team. But I think Reid only has us."_ _  
_  
"And me," Charlie corrected.

"And you. I'll be in touch with you shortly for a time to chat. May get thrown off if we have a case, but they've tried to go easy on us."

Amita took Charlie's hand as he hung up, "Who?"

"Emily." Amita gasped; she had thought she was so lovely at that dinner.

"Oh my gosh, that's so sad. Poor Spencer. Well, poor the whole team really, but those two seemed close." Charlie nodded as he pulled his wife to him, needing to feel the comfort of her touch.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

"Garcia, you needed me?" Reid asked, entering his friend's lair a few days later. He loved Garcia but he wasn't in the mood today since they had a late night wrapping up that trafficking case last night. Even though it was his idea for the Indian food, he couldn't eat much of it. He also hadn't slept more than a few hours this week. JJ comforted him the best she could when they were both in town but she could only help so much. He was thinking it was time to stop going to her anyway.

He had been putting up a brave front the last few weeks, trying to show that he was getting over everything. But the truth was he just wanted to forget that they had failed Emily; forget this pain. And he knew _how_ to do it. He may just go tonight.

Garcia stood and patted her chair. "Sit, my gentle genius. And have a cookie." She gestured to the tin open by her keyboard. He raised an eyebrow, but complied, mainly because he could tell that it was chocolate chip - his favorite.

"What's going -" he took a bite, "-mmmm-" and chewed and swallowed. "-on?"

Garcia smiled and leaned over his shoulder, pressing a button. Reid blinked when Charlie's face appeared. "Charlie? What's this about?"

"I just wanted to chat. I haven't heard from you for awhile..." He paused, thinking about how to proceed. He noticed Garcia smile and wave, silently exiting her office. "Penelope told me about Emily, Spencer."

Reid hung his head, the cookie now forgotten. "We failed her Charlie. Why do we do this is we can't keep each other safe?"

Charlie sighed as he studied his friend through the screen. Was he thinner? "Are you sleeping at all? Eating?"

Reid shook his head and rubbed his eyes. His carefully built up walls always crumbled some with Charlie's stare.

Charlie continued to study is friend when a thought struck him. "Are you..." They had never verbalized his addiction before, but he felt he must. "...still sober?"

Reid's head fell. "Yes, but I'm struggling." He sat for a moment and then looked at the screen and met Charlie's eyes. Charlie could see the pain and sadness. It took him back to when Spencer was eighteen. He had to do something.

"Do you want to come for a visit? Clear your head? Oxford is amazing; you'd love it. I'm still going to be here for a few weeks. Or, you can meet me out in LA in a month or so."

Reid blinked. He hasn't even considered that. "I don't know, Charlie. I wouldn't be good company."

"Cause that matters to me," Charlie joked. Reid didn't respond. "You'll think about it?"

"I will." He took a bite of the forgotten cookie. "How is it over there?"

As the two talked, they hadn't realized that Garcia had left the door cracked open just an inch, ease dropping a little at the beginning. She headed to Hotch's office after the two started to talk math. After Reid admitted to his sobriety struggle, she knew she had to help. It wasn't something the team ever openly talked about, but she had known something was wrong during those months after Georgia and she'd be damned if she'd watch her friend go through that again.

"Yes Garcia?"

"Sir I think Reid needs to take a vacation." She came in and sat down.

Hotch raised an eyebrow. "Based on?"

"He's still grieving."

Hotch sighed. He hated what he had put this team though with that decision. But Reid did seem to be internalizing it the most. "We all are, Penelope."

"Yes sir. But he doesn't have many outside of this office he can turn to." She couldn't mention the sobriety issue. "Do you remember his friend Charlie, the math professor?" Hotch nodded. "He called me out of concern and they are video chatting right now. He invited Reid to come to see him in London. I think we should make him go. I can arrange everything, you just need to approve it."

"I'm not sure Reid would appreciate you arranging something like that behind his back, Garcia. You know how private of a person he is."

"I know, Hotch. But he'll get over it because I think he knows he needs it too. He's just too stubborn to ask. You don't need to be a profiler to see that he always pushes himself too hard, trying to show he belongs here. As if he still needs to prove that, but he seems to think so for some reason. His pride won't allow him to acknowledge he needs to take a break. Please let me do this for him."

Hotch studied his technical analyst. He knew she was right. He had noticed Reid pushing himself since the beginning and it seemed to get worse after Gideon left. Just like he pushed himself. He did not want Reid to be like him…or Gideon. Given everything with the budget cuts, maybe now was the time for Reid to take some time and decide what he wants to do. The number of offers the young man constantly got hadn't gone unnoticed by the team leader. A break would give him some perspective. "Okay," he nodded.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid left Garcia's office about a half hour later, feeling a little bit better. Charlie always had that effect on him. He sat down at his desk to find a folder on it. Frowning, he opened it to find an approved vacation request for two weeks off and flight and hotel reservations for a ten-day trip to London starting in three days. The vacation form just needed his signature.

"They are just reserved right now, but I'll book them if you approve," Garcia stated as she approached.

Reid looked up at her, his eyes watering. He nodded, unable to speak. She smiled and started to walk away. He swallowed, "Garcia?" She turned. "Thank you. For everything."

She smiled, "You're welcome, gorgeous grey matter."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

 _About ten days later…_

Charlie shook his head at the sight before him. He had known where to find his friend after his class without even needing to call. Some of the things Spencer had been most excited to see were the numerous libraries on campus. Today was the mathematical library since it was closest to where Charlie was teaching. He had already visited the Sciences library, the Philosophy and Theology library, the Engineering Sciences library, the Social sciences library and the Pauling Centre for Human Sciences library.

He knew his was masking his grief with seeking out new knowledge or just seeing the first edition of some texts he had already read. He had seen the fake smile when his friend had first arrived. Sure he had physically grinned when he greeted him at the airport, but it didn't meet his eyes.

"Hey Charlie," Reid greeted, a soft smile present. Charlie could see some happiness in those eyes finally and breathed a sigh of relief. He was beginning to wonder if this visit was really helping him.

"Hey Spencer. Ready to get something to eat?" He had taken on the mission to make sure he friend ate something every few hours, trying to put some weight back on him.

Reid nodded, "Starving actually." The pair exited the building after Reid put back the books he had been reading. They made their way to a pub not far away. "Amita still in class?" Charlie nodded.

"Yep, just you and me my friend." They ordered their food and Charlie took a sip of his drink before finally diving in. He had put off the conversation long enough. "You finally want to talk about it?"

Reid sighed, keeping his eyes on the table. "I just miss her. And I'm angry with her for not letting us in before it was too late. We could have helped. We could have prevented it." He sighed again. "I should have pushed her harder. I knew something was wrong. Just like I did with Elle. With Gideon." He looked up at Charlie. "Why can't I just call people out when they are acting strange?"

Charlie studied his friend. "Because…that's just not you." Reid frowned. "And I say that's a good thing. I know you; I know you asked Elle, Gideon _and_ Emily what was wrong and gently pushed. But if they didn't share, you didn't keep prodding. You know why? Because you don't want people to prod too much with you. You share when you're ready and you provide everyone that same kindness. Just because some don't take it, that's not your fault. I suspect you've had similar conversations with others on the team, just like you have with me, and have gotten responses." Their food arrived and both took a few bites.

"If I can't get answers from people I care about then how can I expect to get answers from victims or suspects?"

Charlie blinked. "Have your interrogation techniques been questioned?" Reid shook his head. "I didn't think so. What's really going on Spencer?"

Reid ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. Hotch called a meeting before our last case about possible team downsizing due to budget cuts." He met Charlie's eyes. "I've got a stack of job offers from other teams, other government agencies, and the private sector. After everything with Emily, I wonder…"

"If it isn't time for a change?" Charlie finished. Reid nodded as he took another bite of his sandwich. Charlie took a sip and stared at his friend. Wow. He wasn't sure what to think with that statement. He recalled having a similar conversation a few years ago but he knew this was different. This wasn't after something done to him, but just wear and tear from the job…and the loss of a friend. "Any offer that intrigues you the most?"

Reid shrugged. "Not really. I'm not sure I want to leave. I'm just not sure I want to stay either."

Charlie took another bite of his sandwich as he let that statement simmer. "Maybe you just need a break."

Reid tilted his head and looked his friend. "Isn't that what I'm doing now?" A small smile crossed his face.

Charlie chuckled. "I meant a longer break. Fleinhardt style."

Reid laughed. "You want me to go sit in a monastery or go sleep in the middle of no where for months?" He nodded at the beer in front of his friend. "What number beer is that?"

Charlie smiled. "Ha, no. I just mean take a leave of absence. Gain some perspective. Take a month or two off and see if you can really walk away from the job or if you can find something else you're passionate about."

Reid finished his sandwich and took a drink. A sabbatical. Would make sense. He could spend some time with his mom. Visit some other places he's been wanting to see. "I like the way you think Charlie."

Charlie raised an eyebrow, "Since it's usually not far off from you, I should hope so." Reid smiled and clanked his glass with Charlie's.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

 _September 2011 – 4 months later…_

"Full house."

Reid smirked at the groans from around the Eppes' family table. He chuckled and pulled the poker chips to him.

"Now I know why your team warned us about playing poker with you," Colby sighed, all his chips now gone. The mention of his 'team' caused Reid's smile to vanish. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He'd gone through the offers he had and reviewed them. Millie added teaching and conducting research at CalSci to the list. If he was honest, that was probably the most tempting for the simple fact he'd be around Charlie more often. He was actually surprised that Don hadn't said anything to him about the LA office, but he suspected he didn't want to confuse him even further.

He'd spent a few weeks touring more of England and other parts of Europe after getting Hotch to approve his sabbatical over the phone. He then helped Charlie and Amita get back to LA before going to see his mom for a few weeks. Since then, he'd gone to different conferences on various topics and visited some old professors at different schools. He even guest lectured a few times, including at Georgetown with Alex Blake. She had been kind and didn't push him about why he had time to help teach her linguistics class. Now, he was back in LA, spending some time with Charlie and the gang.

Don noticed the change in Spencer's body language immediately. He still wasn't sure what to make of Spencer's break from the BAU. A part of him wanted to offer him a job on Liz's team. They could use his skills with the profiling and he could also cut out the need for their CalSci consultants. Charlie hadn't voiced any interest in coming back to help just yet. However, the part that was starting to view Spencer as another little brother could tell that wasn't the right move at this time.

"Anyone want another beer?" Nikki asked, startling both Don and Reid out of their thought patterns.

Reid opened his mouth to reply when his phone buzzed. He looked down and saw it was Garcia calling. She had only texted him to see how he was doing, giving him the space. JJ had texted too. He still couldn't believe she was now a profiler on the team. A knot in his stomach formed as he answered the phone. "Garcia?"

" _We found Doyle."_

Reid sat up straight. That wasn't what he was expecting. He jumped out of his chair. "I'm in LA. Can…"

" _I'll find you a flight and text you the details. Just get yourself to LAX and get here safe, my friend. Call when you land and I'll update you."_

"Thanks Garcia."

Charlie watched the exchange with interest. He watched as Reid turned back to the group. "I take it you figured out what job you're taking?"

Reid shook his head. "I don't know about that, but…" He sighed, catching the eyes of everyone in the room, settling back on Charlie's. "They found Emily's killer. I have to…"

Charlie nodded and stood. "Let's get you packed and to the airport then."

Don followed suit. "I'll throw on the lights and sirens on the SUV if needed."

Reid smiled. "Thanks guys." He followed the Eppes brothers up to his guest room, anxious to finally put this case to rest.


	30. Hurt

"Hurt"

September 2011 (a week or so after the last chapter)

* * *

It all started as a regular morning.

Charlie woke up, kissed Amita good morning and set about getting ready for the day. The sun was shining through the blinds. He was grabbing some coffee while Amita was toasting some bagels when his dad burst through the back door. It had been working really well having Alan living in the renovated garage. It gave the couple some space, but kept him close. Sometimes, however, like at that moment when he just came in without announcing – not that he did that often – Charlie would briefly wish he lived across town. Although, to be fair, Alan hadn't come in unannounced while Spencer was here, or in the last week since he had left.

Charlie didn't know then that his morning was about to drastically change.

"Charlie, have you seen the news?"

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Good morning to you too, Dad."

Alan waved his hand, dismissing the greeting. "Charlie."

Amita caught it first, the concern in her father-in-law's voice. "What is it Alan? Don?"

The senior Eppes shook his head and headed into the living room. Charlie and Amita exchanged a look as the genius grabbed his now cream cheese covered bagel, following him. Alan flipped on CNN.

"…although the elite FBI team captured fugitive Ian Doyle, the conduct regarding his death in custody is what the Congressional Committee is evaluating…"

Charlie blinked, processing the information. An FBI team in front of Senate? That couldn't be good. But, why was Alan so concerned?

"That's interesting, Dad, but what-" The footage cut from the reporter to show the agents in question walking into the building.

His bagel dropped to the floor. Amita gasped.

Spencer was on the screen. That was enough of a shock. But then his eyes had registered the brunette as well.

"Emily?" he croaked out.

"She's alive?" Amita asked. The couple exchanged a confused look. Charlie ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed his face. Emily was alive. Why hadn't Spencer told him? _He probably couldn't process it_. This was like Colby but magnified by the nth degree.

He quickly looked back at the screen and noticed Spencer was on there again. His head down, his posture stiff, hands in his pocket. Most of the team seemed to be walking closer together, but he was a few steps behind everyone. Alone.

He was shutting down.

Charlie met his father's concerned gaze and then Amita's. "I…"

Alan nodded. "Go, Charlie. I'll call Millie."

Amita agreed. "Larry and I can cover your classes." She looked at her watch. "We've got a little time before I need to head in. I'll pack your bag, you call to find a ticket."

And that's where he found himself now. About to get off his plane at Reagan. He turned his cell phone back on and checked his messages. One from Amita telling him all was fine with the school, to take his time. Man, did he love his wife. One from Don, telling him the committee was discussing their decision, but that he couldn't dig up anymore right now due to the file being restricted. He had also called in a favor to a buddy at Quantico to add his name at the desk if he went there. None from the person he was hoping to hear from. He quickly grabbed his carry on and hailed a cab.

"Where to Mister?"

Charlie hesitated, looking at the time on his phone. Would he still be at the office or at home? He took a shot. "FBI Headquarters at Quantico, please."

Exactly 72 minutes later he found himself entering the BAU bullpen. Security had been quick thanks to Don. He noticed it was empty and he sighed. Had he guessed wrong? Then he glanced up at a room on the second level. They were all in there. He smiled slightly as it looked like they were relieved. He watched as the group huddled together, wrapping arms around each other. Except for Spencer. He just stood there. Charlie frowned.

He was the first one to leave the room as well. Charlie watched as he headed to his desk with his head down. He was so deep in his own thoughts he didn't even notice Charlie.

"Spencer."

Reid's head snapped up at the voice. "Charlie? What are you doing here?"

Charlie offered him a small smile. "You guys made the news. I, uh, thought you'd need to talk about…" He trailed off as he saw the woman in question coming out of the conference room with the rest of the team.

It was JJ that spoke, however. "Spence, we're going out to celebrate," She didn't see Charlie there either, at first. Charlie immediately noticed Spencer tense up. "Oh, hi, Charlie." The rest of the team was just as confused by his presence. Well, as far as Charlie could tell. Agent Hotchner was the only one he really couldn't read. He took a second to take in the sight of Emily himself.

"Hi," he waved to the group. "Sorry to crash in on your reunion." He met Emily's eyes for a moment before turning back to Spencer. "But, we have some unfinished business. Don't we Spencer?" The rest had known that's where Reid was last before being called back to chase Doyle and then find Declan.

Reid looked at him and blinked. But then sent him a small smile. "Right." He turned briefly to face the team. "Sorry guys. See you in Monday." He quickly grabbed his messenger bag and escorted Charlie out of the bullpen before they could respond. After the elevator doors closed, he slumped against the wall. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Those were the last words exchanged until they reached Reid's apartment. Reid stayed quiet as he flopped down on his leather couch. Charlie set his bag down and checked the fridge. Aside from some condiments, it was empty. Clearly he hadn't had time to stock up since returning from LA. Or he hadn't eaten. He rummaged through a few drawers until he hit the takeout menu stash, amused he even had them since he could just recall it all if he wanted to. He knew what Spencer liked and made a quick order of Chinese food and then went about setting out some dishes and silverware for when it arrived and carried them over to the coffee table. Finally, with all that ready, he took a seat next to his friend on the couch.

"Spencer. Talk to me."

"About what? How I found out my friend that I grieved over for months has been alive this whole time? How two of my other friends – how _JJ_ – lied to me this _whole_ time? How I just got my job back on a team that I'm not even sure I belong with anymore? What _exactly_ would you like to talk about, Charlie?"

Charlie winced slightly at the tone. He really couldn't blame him, but it still hurt to hear him so angry – so hurt. It reminded him about how he felt initially about Colby. The shock, the anger, the confusion. He remained silent.

"I can't even describe what I'm feeling right now. Seeing Emily…" his voice cracked and he swallowed hard. "Walk through those doors, was just…surreal. I wanted to hug her to make sure she was really there and then hurt someone, _anyone_ , for making me feel this way. For making me mourn." He jumped up, starting to pace.

"Did you know that Hotch made us do grief counseling with him? The man that put this whole plan of faking her death into motion in the first place made _us_ pour out how we were feeling to him. And then there was JJ. She let me come over and cry on her shoulders for weeks, before I visited you in London. For _weeks_ , Charlie. Not once did she tell me the truth. And I came so close to…"

Charlie let out a deep breath. He knew this from their talk before he came to London. That part angered him as well. Spencer had fought so hard to get and keep his sobriety and this had almost broken him. To think that it was all for not anyway…

A knock on the door startled them both. Charlie was quick to rise, paying for the food. He swiftly brought the food to the coffee table. When Reid just stood there for a moment, Charlie dished him a plate, making sure there was a fork on it. "Come eat, Spencer." Reid hesitated but finally the smell was too much and his stomach rumbled. He took his seat back and started to eat. Charlie watched him while he ate as well. They lapsed into silence again until the younger one had consumed two plates of food.

"Have you talked to any of them about all this?" Charlie finally asked. "About what you are feeling?"

Reid shook his head. "There really hasn't been time. Even then, I'm not sure what to say. 'I'm glad you are alive Emily but now I don't trust any of you?'"

Charlie sighed. "If that's how you feel then maybe."

"What good is that going to do?" Reid leaned forward, resting his head in hands. "I don't know if I can do this anymore. I don't know if I can be with the team after this. I was so close to deciding to stay out in LA with you before that call. After all this, maybe I should."

Charlie shook his head. He thought for sure Reid was going to go back to his team. And now he hears he was going to stay by him? A part of Charlie wanted him to take that CalSci offer. Another wondered if Reid would _really_ be happy somewhere else but at the BAU. But was this job really worth all this pain?

"Then don't."

Reid stilled his movements for a few seconds before lifting his head to look into his friend's eyes. "What?"

"If that's really how you feel, then don't. If you were planning on staying in LA, I'm sure as hell not going to argue with you about having my brother nearby." Reid smiled at that, despite the conversation. "Emily's 'death' seemed to be your last straw with this job. I think what you need to ask yourself is does knowing she's alive _now_ and that your team is back together make it _worth_ coming back, or is it still too much?" Charlie sat still, letting him think that over.

"I…"

"Unlike math, Spencer, there's isn't a singular answer here." He paused again. "Remember when I used the trust matrix on the whole thing with Colby, but you ultimately told me to go with my instincts?" Reid nodded. "So, what are your instincts telling you now?"

Reid leaned back and sighed. "I haven't a clue. That's the thing. I really don't know, Charlie."

Charlie leaned back as well. "Then you are too close to the problem right now. You need to step back. With Colby, there was a gap between when I was processing the idea of him being a spy to thinking that the information I knew about the man just didn't add up to the act. Then we talked and I was able to prove that he wasn't. But that took time. Maybe what you need is some distance before you make a final decision."

"Collect more data," Reid replied.

Charlie nodded. "Give it a few cases and if you still feel like you can't get past everything, then leave. You know Millie will leave that offer open. Or, Don could probably get you a job in the LA office. I bet Liz would like having you on the team. We could even see if David needs room on his team if you want to stay in DC. The option to stay is going to be harder than figuring out what you could do _if_ you leave."

Reid laughed, albeit a little bitterly. "That's true."

Charlie's thoughts went back to Colby again. Hmm. He changed gears. "You know, it may not be a bad idea for you to talk with Colby. Or David for that matter." Reid sent him a questioning look. "Being a triple agent had to have been tough on Colby - the secret keeping, the knowing at some point he was going to betray his friends if they found out. Maybe he can offer a perspective as to how Emily, Hotch, and JJ are feeling right now. I know he had options to leave the team afterwards since it was so awkward, but didn't. And David...well, he took the longest to accept Colby back since they were partners. Not unlike how close you and Emily are...were. Maybe he can tell you what it took for that to finally happen. Both could comment on if they are happy they stayed or wished they had left."

Reid thought that over. Maybe he would give one or both of them a call. He sighed, not wanting to think about any of this right now.

Charlie studied Spencer a little more and thought about what his father or Larry might say in this moment, "Time, Spencer. Give yourself, and the team, some time."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Colby took a sip of his beer as he took a seat on his couch. Before he could turn on his TV his phone rang and he groaned. If they had another case after they had just wrapped up a long one... He looked at the caller ID and started to mentally prepare himself when he read the name. Charlie had told him he might get this call. "Hey Doc."

Reid smiled a little at the name. _"Hey Colby. I, uh, was hoping to talk to you a bit about..."_ Reid sighed, this conversation was going to be awkward.

The other agent could sense his discomfort. "It's cool, Spencer. Charlie mentioned it to me. He also filled me on everything with your team since you left LA."

 _"Yeah..."_ Reid bit his lip before just diving in. _"Why did you stay after everything?"_

Colby took another sip. "Because despite of everything, the team was my family. Coming from the military, your unit becomes your family; the ones who always have your back and you have theirs. Even though I was in prison and then running around as an escaped convict, I had faith that Don, Charlie and the rest had my back. That they were going to give me the benefit of the doubt and figure things out. I'm alive because of that faith. I couldn't leave them after all that, even if I knew it would never be quite the same. And eventually, we got back to where we were before." His thoughts went to how long it took David to come around, but now they were still close even if they were on separate coasts.

The younger man thought that over. It explained why Emily was so quick to come back when Strauss offered her the position. She missed them just as badly as they missed her, even though she knew they were alive. That comment on the plane still irked him some, but he could see she just desperately wanted to be back with her family. _"Did you ever think about coming clean? At least to David? I know you two were the closest."_ Like JJ and himself.

Colby sighed. "All the time, Spencer. You have no idea. But I had to think about the greater good. If having David and the rest pissed at me for the rest of my life meant I was able to save thousands, maybe millions of lives down the road by feeding China false intel and setting their military efforts back years, then I considered that worth it. My misery was worth that for me. I hated that I caused them pain too, but sometimes that can't be avoided. We've all taken an oath to serve and protect, sometimes at the cost of important things in our own lives."

Reid was silent for a moment thinking that over. He supposed he could see that argument for JJ. She was protecting Emily from Doyle and letting him think she was dead was the best way to ensure that. Even at the expense of everyone else's grief. Deep down he knew she hated the pain she caused him, even if she wasn't expressing that well right now. It still hurt; his trust was still broken by the team member he had let into his heart the most.

"Doc?"

Reid cleared his throat. _"Sorry, was just thinking."_ He still needed to time to ponder this and decide if he was going to the dinner tomorrow. _"Thanks Colby."_

"Sure thing." Colby paused. "I was viewed as a traitor to my team, not dead, so I get that your's is a little different. But, I will say if you feel like the BAU is your family, then let the dust settle and it'll get better. It did for us."

Reid nodded to himself before vocalizing that. _"Okay. Take care of yourself, Granger."_

Colby smiled, "You too Reid."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie watched as Otto scratched the cue ball and chuckled. "Having issues getting that physics to work for you?" Amita laughed, enjoying their pool game against the physicists. Otto opened his mouth to argue with him when Charlie's phone rang. He wasn't sure what to think when he saw the caller ID. "Hey." He walked away from the group.

Reid sighed. _"Hey."_

Charlie paused and turned back around. He caught Amita's eye before exciting the room all together. "How goes the data collection?"

" _I don't know. I'm still upset with JJ. And Hotch. And Emily somewhat."_ It was hard for him to truly stay angry at her since there was a larger part of him that was just so happy to have her back in his life. _"The team is getting together at Rossi's tonight. Apparently he wants to teach us how to cook."_

"Are you going to go?" He could hear the confusion in Spencer's voice.

" _I don't know. It's upsetting to even look at JJ and sometimes Emily right now. But, I also know Morgan and Garcia would be sad if I didn't come and I'm not mad at them."_ He sat down on his bed. He had been staring at his closet, trying to decide if he was going to change and go or not. His talk with Colby had put a lot of things into perspective, but he was still a torn. _"I'm hurt, Charlie, but I don't think I want them out of my life completely. And if I don't go, it might cause a ripple effect and tear the whole team apart."_

Charlie sighed; he had a feeling that was going to be his decision. He wasn't sure if he agreed with it or not to be honest, but it wasn't his place to say that. He also knew it was probably still too early for him to walk away. It had taken a lot more time with Colby. The long term impact on the team wasn't lost on him either. "Then you go. You be the bigger person, Spencer. Try to forgive, slowly move past it. I know you'll never forget, but…"

Reid nodded. He was right. As much as he wasn't happy about this whole thing, there was still a part of him that cared deeply for both women. If he let his anger continue to boil over and lash out at them, they might never have a relationship again. But if he decided to move forward, let time hopefully heal his wounds, then _maybe_ they could be okay. If swallowing his pride is what it took, then he could do it. He had so few deep relationships in his life that the thought of severing at least two of them by leaving the BAU – and who knows if he could maintain the ones with the others? – scared him enough to at least try. The team as a whole wouldn't be able to function if he couldn't get along with them either, so he would _have_ to leave if he didn't repair this. He wasn't ready to do that just yet. He also had to take into account their side like Colby mentioned. He couldn't process it right now, the wounds still too fresh, but maybe over time he could. If David forgave Colby, he had to at least try, right? _"Okay. I'll try Charlie."_

"Good. And if it doesn't work out, don't forget…"

Reid laughed. _"You really want me out there, don't you?"_

Charlie smiled, that sound was his intended goal. He chuckled himself. "What can I say, I like having my family close. It's the only explanation for letting my dad live in the garage."

Reid smiled. _"Is it that or that you just want me there so you can live vicariously through my case work?"_ Charlie hadn't gone back to helping with cases yet. Larry and Otto seemed to be doing fine and he had gotten out of the habit of crime solving during his year abroad. It also wasn't quite the same with Don no longer on the team.

Charlie laughed. "Okay, maybe a little of both," he joked.

Reid looked at his watch. _"Oh, I've got to go."_ He jumped up to dig through his closet for something to wear to Rossi's.

"Good luck, Spencer."

" _Thanks Charlie."_

* * *

 **A/N: My initial plan for after this chapter was a casefic that pulled Charlie back into the FBI world. But, after staring at my computer screen for three months trying to come up with said case, I've determined I'm really not that good at creating unsubs. So unless something just falls into place in my head, I'm saddened to say that the teams won't be working together on a case in this story. I've since made some progress with the next few chapters after making that decision so hopefully the delay between posts won't be huge.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me. I hope this did justice to Reid's emotional rollercoaster of Emily being alive/being betrayed by JJ. It was kind of my take as to why he ultimately decided to be the bigger person and go to the dinner.**


	31. Hacks, Part II

"Hacks, Part II"

October 2011

* * *

Morgan slid into a chair at the table, ready to relax with some of his favorite tunes, just like he always did. Emily took a seat next to him with a newspaper. Rossi and Reid were across from him as the jet took off.

He loved how much he had gotten under Reid's skin with the phone calls, served him right for hustling him. They were about a half hour into the flight, Reid now asleep across from him, when his music cut out.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled musical selection with an important announcement. Never wage a prank war against a CalSci graduate because we have a history of going nuclear. And now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the dulcet sound of me screaming in your ear! Aaaahhhhhhh…."

Morgan ripped his headphones off, getting the attention of Emily and Rossi with the sound. "Okay kid, that was cute, but that's all you got?" He watched as Reid smiled slightly, _pretending_ to be asleep. Morgan shook his head as his phone rang, smiling when he saw the caller ID. "Hey Baby Gi-"

More screaming.

Reid couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped. He cracked his eye open just a fraction to see Rossi waving a napkin between them.

Morgan shook his head, and his phone. "Nuh uh. All right, Reid, it's on. Just know paybacks are a bitch." He sighed as Reid continued to be 'asleep.' "Not sure why you think a bunch of pranks by math and science nerds scare me, kid," he teased, referencing his CalSci mention.

Rossi shook his head and chuckled. Morgan shot him a confused look. "Morgan, you're talking about a kid, who at 16, reprogramed the vending machines across campus to make people solve equations _just_ to get a Kit Kat bar." Morgan's eyebrows went up, unaware of this. "Are you _sure_ you want to go down this road?"

Morgan, continuing to act tough, even though he was having second thoughts, shrugged it off. "Meh, that's nothing. I bet I can get Charlie to help me out."

That got Reid to open his eyes a fraction. "Good luck with that," he smirked. He knew Charlie would never help Morgan out. He blinked and fully opened his eyes, shifting in his seat and turned to Rossi. "Did I tell you that Charlie, Larry and Amita _did_ assist with that Hollywood sign hack two years ago?"

Rossi chuckled. "Can't say I know them well, but somehow this doesn't surprise me."

Morgan looked between the two of them. "They pranked _all_ of LA?" Reid nodded with a smile – that grew as fear started to slowly settle on Morgan's features. He remembered an old classic from the CalSci archive that would be fun to pull on Morgan, but would probably be too labor intensive for him to pull off alone. Yet, he could freak out the older man with the thought.

"Did I ever tell you about the time some CalSci students took apart and reassembled – fully functional mind you – a car into a dorm room? Think your SUV will look good in your living room, Morgan?"

Morgan gulped and made Rossi and Reid laugh. "Okay so maybe nerds _can_ pull off some good stuff…" Rossi tossed the napkin back at him, but he was too proud to wave it…yet.

Reid set his book down and closed his eyes again, actually wanting to get some sleep. This conversation reminded him that he needed to call Charlie when he got home and thank him for the chess set that arrived right before the case, just in time for his birthday.

He couldn't believe he was 30.

* * *

 **A/N: 1) The horror, I almost accidentally skipped the Prank War! LOL I corrected the MIT comment since even the producers/writers admit that was an error. 2) Nobody panic, the team missing his birthday will be addressed...**


	32. Expectations, Part II

"Expectations, Part II"

January 2012

* * *

"Man, I've missed you, buddy," Colby stated, wrapping an arm around David's shoulders at the Eppes dining room table. David had come into town for vacation and the group was enjoying dinner at Charlie and Amita's to celebrate. Alan had insisted on grilling and no one was going to object to that.

David smiled back at him. "You too man." As much as he was enjoying the new job, he still missed his family in LA. They turned to see Don studying the TV screen, standing with his back to the table. "What's up Don?"

He shook his head. "It's a replay of the press conference from this morning about the Zodiac Killer stuff going on in San Fran. Man, am I glad I'm not running that office right now." The group stood to join him as they nodded. Charlie came up beside them.

" _We're here in front of the FBI building with Don Martin, who claims his cousin is the Zodiac Killer and is back to terrorize the city. Mr. Martin, what makes you think this?"_

" _The dates match. When the Zodiac stopped killing, my cousin was put in a mental hospital in Mexico. He was released two months ago."_ Don rolled his eyes.

The reporter pressed again. _"Do you have anything more specific?"_

" _He was working on a production of "The Mikado" in '68. The Zodiac talked about "The Mikado" in a letter."_

" _Excuse me, I'm Dr. Reid with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Was your cousin by chance a fan of Wagner, because a CD of the "Tragic Overture" was sent to the police this morning."_ The group exchanged a look as they registered Reid on the screen. Charlie started to chuckle; he was grateful he was seeing Spencer on the TV in _this_ fashion.

"What?" Colby asked.

Larry, making his presence known, answered. "You'll see."

" _He loved "Wagner," especially the "Tragic Overture." It's him,"_ Martin answered.

Reid moved to be more on the screen. _"Oh yeah, well, for the record, a CD was not sent to the police this morning, and the "Tragic Overture" was written by Brahms, not Wagner, so luckily I guess it's not your cousin."_ He turned to face the camera dead on. _"The FBI would greatly appreciate it people would stop making false claims to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Thank you. Thank you very much."_ He walked into the building and the reporter began to wrap up.

David laughed. "Wow, nice one Doc! That was awesome." Colby and the professors nodded. Don didn't.

"Hmm, bet he just pissed off their killer with that."

Charlie shrugged. "Possibly. But, if anyone can catch the copycat, I would bet its Spencer and the BAU."

Colby nodded. "Yeah, I learned my lesson to not bet against that guy." His wallet was still hurting from the poker game and they hadn't even finished it.

Charlie took a sip of his beer and a smile crossed his face. Don eyed him. "I'm not sure I like that look, Chuck."

"Anyone up for a road trip?" The group exchanged some glances. "Spencer turned 30 a few months ago and even though I sent him a gift, it would be fun to actually take him out and catch up with him and the team." He exchanged a quick glance with Colby who nodded, knowing what he was referring to in particular. What the rest also didn't know was that the BAU had forgotten his birthday. Despite Charlie telling him to talk to his friends and tell them he was hurt, he was pretty sure Spencer hadn't spoken up. So he wanted to, in a subtle way.

The group came to a conclusion and Don pulled out his phone. "Let me see if I can get an in with their SAIC to know when they've got a lead so we don't go up there to just wait two days for them to finish solving the case."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid ran a hand through his hair as the team finished up taking down everything in the conference room now that Caleb and Harvey were in custody. Something about this case and meeting the founder of Nanovex that had him pondering his tenure with the BAU, even though things were finally good with everyone. If he was honest, it was a thought that came up from time to time and not just during his sabbatical or these past few days. Had he wasted his talents?

JJ came up beside him. "You know, Spence, I'm not sure we would've solved this without having our own genius on the case." He turned and smiled at her in thanks, also grateful for the distraction from his thoughts. He opened his mouth to answer when he spotted a familiar group of faces through the windows of the room. He was quickly out the door. "Spence?" The blond followed him.

"Charlie?"

The mathematician grinned. "There's the old man."

Reid rolled his eyes as he walked over to the group, quick to hug Charlie. "Still younger than you, you know." Pulling back, he was quickly wrapped up by Don. "Hey Don." Once released from the older Eppes brother, Amita was next to embrace him. "Amita." He smiled over her shoulder and nodded at the rest. "Colby, Larry." They nodded in reply. "David, what are you doing on the west coast again?" The two had gotten lunch a couple of times since he'd moved out to DC; Reid was teaching him some of the finer points to chess, growing off of what Alan had taught him for that gang case a few years ago.

David smiled. "I was visiting these knuckle heads on vacation when Charlie here came up with the idea to take you and your team out."

Larry spoke up, "By the way, Spencer, impressive trap you set for that guy claiming his cousin was the Zodiac killer."

"You saw that?" The group just stared at him. "Right, of course you did. How else would you know I'm here?"

"Can't get anything past you, Doc," Colby teased. Reid smiled and shook his head.

"You guys seriously didn't need to drive the five hours from LA just to say hi," Reid countered, although touched by the gesture. So much so that he didn't think about Charlie's ulterior motive.

Don wrapped an arm around him, tousling his hair a bit. "Meh, I needed out of the office."

Reid chuckled, "Getting a little bored with the desk job, huh? I also see you left the rest of the team back home."

"Yeah, well, someone had to hold down the fort. Robin's in the middle of a case as well so she couldn't make it," Don answered for the group and Reid nodded.

JJ cleared her throat, getting the group's attention. Reid spun around to see his team all standing there with amused looks on their faces. "You guys didn't bring us a consult from LA, did you?" she joked. Well, she hoped it was a joke.

Charlie shook his head. "No. Actually, I've left the FBI work to Larry and Otto. We just thought it would be fun to surprise Spencer after we saw his press conference." He turned his gaze back to his friend. "I haven't had a chance to properly welcome him to the Thirties club."

JJ's eyes widened and she turned to catch Emily's shamed expression. She hadn't mentioned to the rest yet that they had forgotten his birthday. Morgan ran a hand over his head at hearing that as well and Rossi sighed. These were actions the LA agents noticed, but Reid didn't. Charlie noticed as well and knew the drive was worth it. Reid shook his head at Charlie with a smile. "You already got me that chess set from London. Not to mention housing me both there and in LA over the summer." He didn't mention Charlie's visit to DC, even though it was something that Reid was eternally grateful for.

Hotch frowned slightly, also ashamed they had missed that. He had noticed Reid had seemed off a little bit lately. The younger man seemed fine with JJ, Emily, and himself now so Hotch had a feeling something else was bothering him; he hoped it wasn't because they missed his birthday. Hopefully this visit would help him out. "Well, since you made the trip up here, the least we can do is take you all out for dinner. We're finished here anyway so we might as well enjoy the rest of the night and fly back tomorrow morning." He shot looks to the rest of his team, checking for objections, but received none.

"Alright Pretty Boy, where do you want to eat?" Morgan asked, making mental note to call Garcia to get going on their own surprise for the kid.

Reid thought for a moment and then turned to Charlie. "Hey you think that Thai place we went to when I had to present at the mathematics conference is still here? Their Pad Thai was amazing."

Charlie smiled, "On O'Farrell? Probably." He pulled out his phone to check. "Gonna finally try to concur chopsticks, old man?" he added, getting a laugh from the BAU team.

Reid rolled his eyes as the group headed out. "How many of those 'old' jokes are you going for there, Charlie? Remember I'm still five years younger than you." That got a laugh from the LA group, particularly Don and Amita.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Colby slid into a seat next to Reid at the bar the group all decided to head to after dinner. The younger man turned and smiled at him. "Hey Colby."

"Doc." He nodded towards the BAU team. Morgan had pulled Emily out on the dance floor. Rossi was talking with David, Larry and Don. Hotch and JJ were listening to Charlie share some stories with Amita about London, and probably Reid. "I take it the dust settled okay?"

Reid smiled and nodded, looking over at JJ with the rest. "Yeah." It hadn't been easy, but eventually he had decided to forgive. Ultimately he was just relieved that Emily was alive and happy and that their family was whole again. "Thanks for that talk." Colby patted his shoulder just as Charlie joined them. Colby slid back out, going to steal Emily from Morgan since that Garcia lady wasn't here.

Charlie eyed his friend. "You okay? You seem distracted." He had noticed over dinner that something seemed to be occupying Spencer's mind. He wondered if he had caught onto his plan and was annoyed or if it was something else entirely.

"Yeah, I guess." Charlie raised an eyebrow. Reid sighed, "Okay so during this case, I was just thinking about how maybe I should have been doing something more with my gift, like curing schizophrenia." Charlie tilted his head, thinking that over. Then he started to laugh. Reid looked at him all confused. "What?"

"You don't recall this conversation from five years ago?"

Reid racked his brain and then shook his head, smiling. "So is this when you throw my words back at me about the world's expectations for child prodigies?" It was eerily similar to his conversation with Emily.

Charlie took a sip of his beer and shook his head. "I think you did that just fine yourself." He caught his friend's eyes. "What you should ask yourself is why did you really stay with the team? You said so yourself that you were close to leaving this summer. You also thought about it after everything with _that_ case," he paused and both knew what he was talking about from a few years ago, "and I bet you thought about it after Gideon left too, am I right?" Reid nodded. "So _why_ are you still at the BAU?"

Reid looked around the bar at the smiling faces of his coworkers, his family. He loved them even when they annoyed or upset him. He loved the good they did, the closure they gave families after a horrible crime and, sometimes if they were lucky, even rescuing victims alive. He took satisfaction in catching the unsubs, making them pay for their crimes. And when they were sick, he took solace in the fact that he was assisting them in getting the help they needed, at least most of the time. He turned to Charlie, who had been patiently waiting. "Its just feels like where I _need_ to be."

"So then don't you think that if that's how it feels, then you are using your talents just as you should be?"

Reid smiled. "Who's the profiler now?"

The professor clanked his glass with his and chuckled. "I learned from the best...Megan." Reid shoved his arm and smiled. "Seriously though, that wasn't profiling, that's just knowing you too well."

"Well thanks," Reid smiled again, taking another sip of his drink.

Charlie nodded. "Anytime." He paused for a second. "Now, you've won money from my friends, care to help me hustle some from yours in a few rounds of pool?"

Reid chuckled as he stood. "Morgan and Rossi are probably the best ones to sucker into that. Morgan in particular." He smirked, thinking back to the basketball incident awhile back. The older agent wouldn't see this coming either.

Hotch watched as Morgan groaned as Charlie cleared the pool table. Actually, he was watching Reid. He seemed a little more centered, more relaxed. He had a feeling Charlie helped his youngest agent work through whatever was bothering him lately during their private chat a few minutes ago. He'd have to remember to thank the professor. Looking around at the LA agents, Hotch knew that if Reid _had_ left the team back in the summer, it would have likely have been to join their team. He took solace in the fact that at least he would have been with a group that understood him, that cared for him. At least for now, however, he felt confident that their resident genius would be staying, for which he was eternally grateful.

He glanced at his phone at the latest text from Garcia. Now, what gift to get Reid for his belated surprise party?


	33. Mr Belvedere

"Mr. Belvedere"

February 2012

* * *

Reid took a deep breath as he took a seat on JJ's couch, ignoring the fact that he still had a few wet spots on his khakis from bath time. Man, was he exhausted. But, Henry was in one piece and finally in bed so he was calling the night a success. He had managed dinnertime, bath time and all the bedtime rituals with his godson for the first time all by himself. He was quite proud of that, particularly given JJ's trepidation to the idea initially. Running a hand over his face he looked around and frowned. Better clean up.

As he started to pick up the three year old's toys, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, expecting it to be JJ checking in. He smiled when he saw another name. "Hey Charlie, what's up?"

" _Hey. Not much, just thought I'd check in,"_ the teacher replied.

Reid analyzed that statement. He could tell that was a lie, but decided to work towards calling him out on that. "Ah okay." He yawned as he finished collecting all the Legos.

Charlie chuckled. _"Long day?"_ He glanced at the clock and knew it was only about 9 PM Eastern Time.

"Yeah. We flew back from Atlanta today and I just finished putting Henry to bed."

" _Ah, babysitting duties, huh?"_

Reid smiled. "Yeah, first time solo as well. JJ was a little nervous and after the last few hours, I can kind of see why. He _is_ a giant ball of energy and a lot to handle when you're not used to kids. But, we both survived so that's good. Now, I have to clean up after Tornado Henry's destruction path." He yawned again as he put the last toy away, making his way to the kitchen to finish cleaning up after the dinner mess.

" _So it went well otherwise?"_ Charlie asked, eying Amita as she read in the solarium.

"Yeah." He worked on loading up the dishwasher after finding a container to put the leftover chicken nuggets and mac and cheese in. "Just a little tiring, but he's so much fun and so full of curiosity that I really don't care that I'm worn out." As he put the last fork in, he replayed that question. There was something to Charlie's tone. "Asking just to ask Charlie or tying to collect data for your own experience?"

Charlie sighed. _"Sometimes you are really annoying, you know that?"_

Reid laughed as he wiped down the counters and dining table. "Don't call a profiler if you don't want me to pick up on what's rolling around in that brain of yours just by your tone."

" _Touché,"_ Charlie smiled. He headed back to their living room. _"And yes about the data. We're thinking about trying and I just wonder if I'm ready to be a dad is all."_

Reid smiled, refilling his water glass before heading back into the living room. Now he just had to wait for JJ and the girls to return. Good thing he brought some books with him. "JJ once told me that no one is ever really ready to be a parent, but that your love for your child will guide you through everything you're unsure about."

" _I supposed that's true,"_ Charlie replied. _"But I'd still like data. We did do well with the Big Brother Big Sister program before we went to London, so that was reassuring."_

"That's good." Reid thought about that for a second. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea for him either. He would just have to work out the time commitment issues with his work schedule. "There is also clearly something to that 'it takes a village' saying if the help Garcia and I chip in from time to time for Henry is any indication." And the team's help with Jack once and a while too. He knew Rossi was getting up very early to be with Jack for when Hotch has to leave for his race in the morning. "I think you've got a pretty good village over there."

Charlie laughed. _"I suppose that's true. I know my dad will be willing to help, he's already been hounding Don and I for grandkids…long before either of us were married."_

Reid smiled. "Uncle Larry will be quite I amusing, I imagine, as well." The pair shared a laugh at that.

" _There's Uncle Spencer too, even if he lives on the east coast,"_ Charlie added with a grin.

"Oh, I could teach your kid magic! Henry loves it." Reid wasn't surprised by the groan in his ear. "Point is, Charlie, I think you and Amita will be great parents. So if you're ready, you might just need to take a leap of faith."

Charlie smiled. _"Thanks. I think you'll be great too one day if we can find you the right girl."_

Reid bit his lip. Right now he'd settle for his headaches going away. Maybe he needed to try a different avenue for some treatment options. He was just glad he didn't have one tonight. "Thanks."

" _Now, what all did you do with Henry that has you so worn out?"_


	34. Profiling 201

"Profiling 201"

May 2012

* * *

Charlie sat in the back of the undergraduate lecture hall at Georgetown, listening to Spencer's team talk about this killer they had tracked since 1992. He could hardly process the crime scene photos, particularly since it had been awhile since he'd seen any. He really had wanted to learn more about what – and how – Spencer did, which was why he was here. Well, one of the reason. He saw profiling with his own serial case - with Posdner - and with Megan, but he knew this would be a different angle to profiling, deeper insight. It was remarkable, but he could see the emotional toll this case in particular had taken on one of the founders of the BAU.

Still trying to process Rossi's last revelation, he almost missed the team all together. He rushed through the glass doors of the Sociology building and called out. "Spencer!"

Reid spun around, having just watched Rossi walk away to go see Thomas Yates. "Charlie? What are you doing here?"

The mathematician was quick to meet the remaining BAU members on the stairs. He smiled at Spencer as the younger man hugged him. "Surprise! You told me about this presentation and I was intrigued."

JJ tilted her head, confused. "So you just flew across country to hear one undergrad lecture on profiling?"

"That's borderline stalking, Teach," Garcia teased. Emily and Morgan chuckled at that. Charlie's appearance was helping to distract them from worrying about their teammate off to the prison and they didn't even realize it...yet.

Charlie simply shrugged. His fellow genius squinted at him and then smirked. "What presentations did you skip out on at the conference at Princeton?"

The shorter man started to smile, knowing he was caught. The rest of the BAU group laughed. "What? It's only an hour flight and this seemed more interesting."

Reid squinted again, recalling the topics for the conference in his mind. He had read it a few weeks ago. He started to laugh. "You hate Penfield that much, don't you?"

Morgan slipped his arm around Charlie's shoulder, pulling him with them as they started to move toward the parking lot. "Oh, does the good professor have a rival?"

Reid chuckled again. "You could call him that."

Charlie shoved his arm. "Quiet Pretty Boy." The BAU group paused for a second before busting out laughing again, Morgan the hardest.

Reid shook his head. "Careful, _Chuck_ , I still have stories I haven't shared yet. Like how you were schooled by at thirteen year old during the campus cardboard boat race."

Charlie laughed. "I maintain that's because you were shorter than me back then and your weight was in proportion to your body now….so, what, _maybe_ eight-five to ninety pounds soaking wet?"

Garcia started to laugh. "Please tell me there are photos of this somewhere!" Reid groaned; god he hoped not.

The conversation lulled for a moment and Charlie sighed, even though this chatter amused him. He broke away from Morgan's grip to get in stride with Spencer. "That was quite the presentation, guys."

The group nodded that they heard him. "Thanks," Emily smiled softly.

"That statistic about active serial killers at one time…I've heard it before, but something about this presentation put it into a new perspective." He fell quiet, thinking about some of his past work. Could he…

"No."

The group all stopped when they noticed Reid stop and put a hand on Charlie's arm. Charlie looked at him confused. "What?"

"No, you can't apply some mathematical equation to try to find the killers we can't or don't know about yet. No, you can't prevent it."

The profilers all exchanged glances. Charlie frowned. "Hey, I stopped Hawaiian Ice from covering the streets of LA and found Posdner, didn't I?" His selective memory regarding those cases was going to come back to get him.

Reid took off his sunglasses to make sure he had his friend's eye contact. "You did stop Hawaiian Ice, but do you remember how that sting nearly got Liz shot? Twice?" Don had filled him on this particular case awhile back. "It's a risk with undercover work, sure, but part of that was due to trying to apply a mathematical principle without factoring in that drug dealers, just like serial killers and psychopaths, rarely follow logic or a rulebook. We see it everyday. We have prescient, sure, but that doesn't mean the unsubs we chase will always follow that."

He took a small breath before continuing. "Although it was amazing that we got Posdner off the streets after not even being detected for decades, you nearly worked yourself… _and me_ …to the point of exhaustion. Which," he nodded towards his team, "they can tell you _is_ an accomplishment, just not a good one." Charlie opened his mouth to protest, but Reid continued. "And that all started because Don got shot. The fact that you _actually_ found his pattern was probably a little bit of luck due to how intense your thought processes can get and your ability to see patterns. But it was also due to you falling down the rabbit hole while trying to cope with your brother nearly dying. Not unlike your P vs nP fiasco when your mom died; this just happened to actually have a solution so you could crawl back out of it."

Reid moved his hand to Charlie's shoulder. "You gave up crime fighting for a _reason_ , Charlie, and not just because you went to London for a year or because Don got promoted. You may have not just realized it yet."

Charlie wrinkled his brow, confused. He had? "I don't think I see it."

"My abilities aren't being wasted hunting down killers." The team shared a glance; he was concerned about that? Had they taken him and his genius for granted all this time? He didn't notice, focused on Charlie. "Because that's what I'm _meant_ to do. But your gift…" Reid paused. "Do you realize what your cognitive emergence theory could do for the world as a whole? If we were actually able to understand the brain mathematically, do you realize the applications, the scientific advances, that could come from that? Maybe _then_ you could help prevent crime, but not now."

Charlie nodded. "Yes. But, what if I don't solve it? Then what is my contribution to society? Shouldn't saving one life today with an equation be just as valuable as the _potential_ to save more lives in the future?"

"I'm not saying you can't ever help Liz and the rest, Charlie. Just don't let it consume you like it tended to do in the past. Larry and Otto seem to be doing fine from what Colby told me. Sure, there may be times when your skills will be more applicable, but keep your primary focus on _your_ work. Don't go _actively_ looking for a crime to solve."

Charlie ran a hand through his hair. "You still didn't answer my question. Why didn't I go back to crime solving when I got back to LA?" Reid smiled softly and shook his head. How could he _not_ see it? Everything he just said just was true, but there was a real simple reason.

"Amita."

Charlie blinked. Reid shot a quick glance at the team before deciding to elaborate, choosing his words carefully for Mrs. Eppes' sake. "You saw how much better being away from that life was for her, for both of you. And given our last conversation about Henry, I would think it would be best for all involved if you focused your energy elsewhere." JJ raised an eyebrow at that, but smiled at what it likely implied.

A smile crossed Charlie's face about _that_ conversation. He also thought over Spencer's comment. Amita hadn't had any more nightmares. They had stopped when they went to London, although they had decreased some before that. Her being a peace was why he didn't go back. His heart had made a decision for him that his brain wasn't even aware of.

He cleared his throat. "So what was that, Profiling 201?"

Reid smirked as the rest chuckled. The team, each in their own way, had just grown to admire their teammate a little more. Whether it was on his profiling skills, his maturity in handling that conversation, or his passion _and_ compassion to set his friend on the best path.

Garcia was the one that chose to break the spell. "So, Teach, you need a lift back to the airport or are you skipping more class?"

* * *

 **A/N: Obviously this is my personal opinion on if Charlie went back to crime solving and the reason for why not. You may disagree, but I always felt a big part of the draw for Charlie was working with Don, which wouldn't be the same now that he was promoted. He'd also had plenty of close calls, Amita in particular towards the end, that it made sense to me for him to take a step back even if he didn't know why initially. I didn't particularly like the idea of them crime fighting with a baby in the future either. Don and Robin, sure, because they chose that life long ago, but Charlie and Amita? Not so much.**

 **We're about to hit the Maeve story arch. I have in my head what I want to do but am currently struggling some getting it on paper, so to speak. Part of the struggle is having my head so entrenched with JJ/Reid for "Partners" (and that version of Maeve/Bobby) that writing Maeve/Reid in this universe isn't coming out quite right. It's going to take some time, so please bare with me. Also, once I get through a good part of that, I may pick a point not too far after that to end the story, clearly before the end of CM. Either that or it will only be a few chapters per seasons 9/10/11 and beyond, having larger gaps of time between chapters. We'll see, I guess, but I wanted everyone to be prepared for that possibility.**

 **Thanks for the continued support! ~Ann**


	35. Good News

"Good News"

September 2012

* * *

"Okay, well Dave is headed off on vacation, how about the rest of us grab lunch and then head back?" Hotch asked the team. Rossi had just left for Mexico, having a hunch about their missing pact killers.

"Tacos?" Reid offered. He'd been thinking about them since the flight.

JJ snorted and smiled at that suggestion. "Got a craving Spence?"

He smiled and nodded. "There's actually this really good place not far from here. It's by the FBI building. Charlie and Don took me there last summer. Oh, that reminds me…" He pulled out his phone.

Blake looked at JJ and Morgan. "Charlie? Don?"

"Pretty Boy has a second family here in LA. His buddy Charlie is a professor at CalSci, Reid's alma mater. He was actually his teacher at one point. Charlie's brother Don is the SAIC at the LA office. Reid's became friends with a group of his agents before he was promoted," Morgan supplied. Blake nodded as they finished gathering up their things to head out.

"Awesome, see you in a few." Reid hung up, grabbing his messenger bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He looked at the team, "Ready?"

Morgan shook his head. "You act like you haven't seen him in years, Kid. It was May for crying out loud." Reid shrugged in reply as the group headed out. Truth was, he was hoping for a moment alone with Charlie to tell him about Maeve. He hated her current circumstances and hoped he could get her out of them soon, but he couldn't help how excited he felt whenever they spoke on the phone. He'd never felt this way before.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

"Hey Doc." Reid smiled and waved at Nikki, the first to walk up to the taco truck to meet the LA group. She spotted the rest of the team and eyed Morgan, he had stuck out to her when they had met before. "Agent Morgan, good to see you."

Morgan smiled. "You too Betancourt."

"Please, Nikki." The pair didn't notice the smirks or eye rolls from various people at her obvious flirting attempt.

Hotch eyed where they were standing. "Reid you didn't mention it was a food truck."

Reid turned, having been exchanging pleasantries with Liz and their newest agent, Kyle Taylor. "I didn't? Does it matter? It's delicious!"

JJ and Blake shook their heads, smiling. They walked up to the truck to place an order when the group heard some more voices. "Spencer!" "Hey guys!" "The BAU back in LA, can't stay away can you?"

The Eppes men all appeared, along with Amita and Robin. Greetings and introductions were exchanged among the group, Robin and Alan being new for everyone but Reid, and Blake being new for the LA crew. The group went about ordering some food. After Reid had a few tacos in his one hand and a drink in another, he nodded to Charlie, pulling him away from the rest. They took a seat at furthest table the food truck has set up for guests.

"What's up Spencer?" He took a sip of his drink.

"How did you know you were in love with Amita?"

Charlie coughed, not expecting that. "Did you meet someone?"

Reid glanced behind him, "Not so loud, but yes. Well, sort of. We haven't actually met in person." He fiddled with his drink.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, not sure what to make of that. Leave it to Spencer to have an unorthodox relationship. He couldn't give him too hard of a time given how long it took for him to actually start to date Amita and then eventually marry her. "Well, I'm not really sure how to best answer your question. I feel, whole, I guess when I'm with her. It was like I was an equation and she had the solution. In the beginning, however, I just enjoyed spending time with her and thought about her when we weren't together." He glanced over at his wife and smiled. "Still do. Unless I'm wrapped up in a problem, of course."

Reid smiled, familiar with the one-track mind that could overtake them both when a thought process hit them. He also like the math analogy. He was beginning to feel that way, finding himself thinking about her constantly when they weren't on the phone. "Hmm, okay."

Charlie took a bite of his taco. "Want to share anything else about this mystery woman with me?"

Reid smiled. "We started to exchange correspondence regarding one of my papers. Letters, now weekly phone calls. She's a geneticist. She actually helped me solve my headaches."

That made Charlie happy. "So they are gone?" Reid nodded. "That's fantastic. As for this lucky lady…what's with not meeting in person? Does she live in another state?"

Reid shook his head. "There are some extenuating circumstances, but we're working through that. Please don't tell anyone on my team, I'm not ready to share it with them right now."

Charlie studied the younger man, noting how happy he seemed. He was confused and a little concerned about why he wouldn't want to tell his team, but he wasn't going to push, at least for now. He nodded. "Well, when those issues are resolved, I look forward to meeting her. I know she has to be one special woman to capture your brain _and_ heart."

Reid smiled, pushing hair back before leaning in to finish his taco. After swallowing, he commented. "Like you and Amita."

The professor nodded, glancing back over at his wife talking with Liz and JJ. "Yeah." Reid noticed something in how he looked at her. When Charlie turned to meet his gaze again, Reid raised an eyebrow in question. Charlie chuckled, knowing he had figured out _his_ good news. "We're due in April."

Reid was quick to his feet, pulling Charlie in for a hug. The action got the attention of the rest. "That amazing, Charlie, congratulations!"

Amita and some of the others headed their way and Reid caught the movement when he separated from her husband. He spun and hugged her. "I'm so happy for you, Amita."

She smiled, kissing his cheek when they separated. "Thanks Spencer."

Hotch, Morgan and JJ had smiles on their faces, taking a good guess as to the celebration. They had all taken an educated guess as to what Reid's comment about Henry meant back in May. Don, Robin and Alan were all amused at Reid's excitement; it wasn't all that far off from Don's. Alan's was a _little_ more exuberant. The rest of the LA group exchanged glances, confused.

Charlie caught that; they hadn't told them yet since it was still a little early. "Sorry guys, we had been waiting to share the news but I had to tell Spencer since he was here in person." Amita moved to stand next to him and he wrapped an arm around her. "We're having a baby."

The cheers near Dante's Tacos startled a couple of teenagers walking by the food truck in downtown LA. They glanced up from their phones and exchanged a look. Noticing the guns and badges, they sped up their walking speed, not sure they wanted to know _why_ a bunch of feds were all so excited.

* * *

 **A/N: _Finally_ worked through my mental block on the Maeve plot line so postings should be a little more regular again. Hopefully you'll approve, overall, how that all works out.**


	36. If You Love Something

"If You Love Something…"

October 2012

* * *

Charlie took a step back from his chalkboard, staring at his equation. He was making some progress with his work but right now it was starting to run together; he was stuck. He needed a break.

He blinked when his phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he smiled. This would work.

"Hey Spencer, what's up?"

Reid bit his lip. _"Hey."_ He was still thinking about Maeve's last words from a few hours ago. He had hardly registered calling Charlie, but needed to talk to someone.

Charlie ran a hand through his hair, picking up on the odd tone. "You okay?"

" _No…I mean, yes…I mean…"_ Reid sighed, confused. Even if he had been just thinking a few weeks ago that he might be in love with her, it still threw him off that she had actually said it.

"Spencer?"

" _She loves me,"_ he blurted out.

Charlie smiled. "Did you tell her you love her back?" He assumed he did after that talk at the taco truck.

" _No. She said it right when we were hanging up. I didn't even have time to process it before she was gone."_ Reid took a seat on his couch, having been pacing in his living room.

"Ah, well, you can tell her during the next call. Or, I don't know, in person. You fix those issues yet?"

" _No,"_ Reid sighed, also frustrated by that. But, he had heard how upset she got on the phone; he didn't want to push her away.

Charlie frowned and took a seat. "Spencer, what's really going on? Why can't you see her in person?"

Reid bit his lip again. It felt like he was betraying her trust if he told Charlie, but he needed to talk and at least it wasn't with his team, it was just his old math professor. _"She's in hiding from a stalker. I… I don't even know her full name to keep her safe. I call her from a different payphone every week to a pager that she calls back on so it can't be tracked. It started at her work and then to her personal phone and even home."_ He let out a deep sigh _. "She won't let me help, terrified that her stalker will come after me."_

Charlie blinked a few times, processing this as he then ran a hand over his face. That was _not_ what he was expecting, not even close. "Wow, okay." He then thought over that last statement. "Does she know you not only work for the FBI, but for the BAU whose job is to find people like her stalker?"

Reid sighed. _"Yes."_ He ran a hand through his hair. _"I don't want to betray her, Charlie. I can't pursue it."_

Charlie scoffed. He couldn't be serious. "Spencer, do you love this woman?"

" _Yes."_

"And you would do anything to protect her if you could?"

" _Yes."_

"Even if she got mad at you and didn't want to speak to you again, but it was for her best interest, for her safety?"

He paused. _"Yes."_ Reid sighed again. _"Point taken, Professor."_

Charlie smiled. "You're the one that pointed out to me that my heart made my decision to back away from crime fighting for the woman I love. Seemed right to be the one that points out your heart's desire to step into the crime fighting to _save_ the one you love."

Reid leaned back, his head resting on the back of the couch as he stared at the ceiling. _"Okay, but how?"_ He didn't even know where to begin.

Charlie shook his head. Spencer's head was clearly clogged with new love and confusion. "Does anyone on your team know about her yet?"

" _Blake. And Morgan sort of figured it out. But they don't know any of the details I just told you. You're going to tell me to tell them, aren't you?"_

"You really _are_ a genius," Charlie sarcastically replied. "I'm pretty sure stalking in is the BAU wheelhouse, why _wouldn't_ you talk to them? I know you like to be private, Spencer, but this probably isn't the best time to be secretive if the woman you love is in danger."

Reid groaned. _"Okay, I'll tell them tomorrow if we don't get a case."_

"Good." Charlie smiled. He wanted his friend to be as happy as he was; he deserved it. He thought over that tone in Spencer's reply, however. As they said goodbye, Charlie left his office in the hunt for his love, probably reading in the solarium or talking to his dad about the nursery. He had a feeling be might need to be in DC.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid sat staring at the consult on his desk, trying to work up the nerve to talk to Hotch. Maybe he should start with telling Blake the whole story first? She'd probably focus less on him actually having someone in his life and more on how to keep her there. The rest might be hurt he didn't tell them. Although, JJ hadn't told the team about Will for nearly a year and a half and Hotch had clearly been getting to know Beth for awhile before they met her last Spring. Rossi still thought the team didn't know about him and Strauss…

A cardboard coffee cup appeared on his desk, in the spot where he had been staring off into space. He blinked and then looked up to see who put it there. "Charlie?"

"Had a feeling you might chicken out and I figured you could use some support. You were there for me during the Podsner case, it's my turn to return the favor."

Reid relaxed just a fraction at the sight of his friend. He sent him a small smile. "Thanks." Reaching into his messenger bag, he grabbed his letters from Maeve. He stood up, taking the coffee with him for something to hold in his other hand.

"Teach? What brings you by? Oh and congrats and your expected bundle of genius!" Garcia greeted, pulling Charlie into a hug before either man could process her presence.

"Thank you Penelope," Charlie smiled. He noticed Blake, Morgan and JJ all spot him. He turned to Reid. "You good?" He didn't finish the question, but both knew he was asking if Reid needed him in the room with Hotch right now or if he wanted Charlie to distract the rest for now.

Reid nodded and headed up to Hotch's office. He could hear the team greeting his friend, providing him a diversion. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in."

Reid opened the door and closed it behind him. "Hey Hotch."

Hotch studied his youngest team member, concerned that he shut the door. "What's up Reid?"

Taking a seat across from his unit chief, he set the letters on his desk, now fiddling with the coffee cup in both hands. "I need to tell you something." Hotch glanced at the letters and then studied Reid as the man in question studied the cup. Without looking up, he told Hotch about how they first started with exchanging letters and now they were talking on the phone. He told him what he knew about the stalker as well.

"She doesn't want me to help her because she's afraid he'll hurt me, but Hotch, I have to. I…love her."

Although his face stayed unchanged, Hotch was taken aback by all this. When had Reid fallen in love and why hadn't he told anyone until now? And _of course_ he'd fall for someone in trouble. The older man sighed. "We don't technically have a case, Reid, but let's talk with the rest and see what we can do." Stalking cases were always a sticky situation to get involved with. Reid nodded, collecting the letters and following him out the door. "BAU, conference room now." He knocked on Rossi's door as they walked back. Noticing Charlie, he sent a glance back at Reid who shrugged.

Reid got Charlie's attention, nodding for him to come with the rest. They all eyed Charlie as he filed in the team. Reid pulled an extra chair up to the table, which Charlie took.

"Not that I don't like you visiting, Charlie, but are you consulting with us on this case?" Rossi asked for the group.

Charlie shrugged. "I guess you could call it that." He looked at Reid, who looked at Hotch. The unit chief nodded for him to present.

Reid looked at his teammates and took a deep breath. "This isn't an official case. I, uh, need your help."

"Are you okay?" Garcia was immediately on high alert.

Reid nodded. "I'm okay, Garcia. The help is for someone…" He felt Charlie squeeze his shoulder, giving him the courage to finish that statement. "…that I love."

Eyes went wide around the table, although Blake and Morgan's reactions weren't quite as shocked. "You have a girlfriend, Spence? Why wouldn't you tell us?"

Morgan, understanding his friend's need for privacy, raised an eyebrow at JJ. "Like you did with Will?"

JJ sighed, guilty. "Point taken." She looked back at Reid. "Why does she need our help? Who is she?"

Reid sighed. "Awhile back I had some health issues – headaches." Morgan raised his eyebrows at that, as did Hotch. He hadn't mentioned that part in his office. They were also the only two that vaguely knew about them since Emily was in London.

"What headaches?" asked Garcia, concerned. "I thought you said you were okay, Sweet Cheeks."

That caught Charlie's attention. "You didn't tell them?" Reid looked at him sheepishly and Charlie sighed. "Seriously, Spencer…" He shook his head. His friend needed to consider opening up more with the people he saw the most. "Continue your story, but we're talking about that later."

"He mentioned them to me after Em's funeral, but I didn't realize you were still having them, Kid," Morgan commented. Hotch frowned, remembering his 'pretending' to have a headache in Miami.

Reid shook his head, wanting the team to focus on Maeve and not him. "I'm not anymore. Because of her. She wrote me a compliment on my Journal of Behavioral Psych paper seven months ago." He set the letters down. "And for four months, this is how we communicated because she was scared."

Rossi pulled them to him, giving Blake some in the process as well. He could tell JJ and Morgan needed to focus on the story right now. "Scare of what? Or of whom?"

"She has a stalker, she's not sure who it is. Just that he is incredibly dangerous. Horribly threatening phone calls, letter, emails, no matter where she moved; which she's done three times. For the last few months we've been talking on the phone, but I page her from a different phone booth every time and she calls me back at those numbers to try to keep him from tracking her."

"Does he know about you as well?" Blake asked, looking at the letters. This wasn't what she was expecting when he told her about someone in his life during this past case. The pay phone was making more sense, however.

"We don't think so. It's one of the reasons we haven't met yet, she's terrified of what could happen to me if he did." Reid looked down at his coffee cup again, knowing the team was going to be surprised by that last comment in particular.

"You've never met?" JJ asked, her voice soft but surprised.

"No."

"Do you know what she looks like?" asked Morgan. Reid shook his head.

"How about where she works? How'd she help with the headaches?" asked Rossi.

Reid took a breath. "I don't know where exactly, but I know she's a geneticist. That's how she helped. She reviewed my MRIs and found supplements I could take, which stopped the headaches."

Even Charlie was a little surprised by all of this, not privy to every detail. "What's her name, Spencer?"

"Maeve. I don't know her last name." He looked up, finally, making eye contact with the rest. "She doesn't want me to help her out of concern for me, but I _need_ her to be okay even if she gets upset and doesn't want to see or speak to me again after this is all over. So please help me help her."

Hotch looked at his team. "We'd be working on personal time, that okay with everyone?" The group nodded. "Then let's get to work."

JJ and Morgan took some of the letters from the others, reading those as well. Garcia ran quickly to her lair to get her laptop. Reid got up from his chair and started to pace some, anxious. Charlie and Hotch both studied the youngest person in the room.

"You made the right decision, Spencer," Charlie offered, sensing that's where his thoughts went.

That caught Hotch's attention. "You told him to come to us?" Charlie turned to catch Hotch's gaze and nodded. "How long have you known?"

"Just since we got tacos a couple weeks ago." He leaned in to talk a little more privately with the unit chief. "He wanted to keep it a secret, keep it private. I think he only told me because he wasn't sure of what he was feeling at the time. He was also trying to respect her wishes by not getting you guys involved, but I've worked enough cases with Don to figure out that wasn't a good plan after he told me she has a stalker."

Hotch nodded and patted Charlie on his shoulder. Thank god Reid had him in his life. He wondered if and when Reid would have finally told the rest if Charlie hadn't pushed. "Thank you." Charlie nodded and turned back to watch his friend. Garcia reappeared with her laptop, typing one handed.

"I've found her. Well, at least _who_ she is." That got Reid to stop moving. The rest all looked at Garcia as well. "What? There aren't many geneticists with the name Maeve. But, Dr. Maeve Donovan took a sabbatical from Mendel University seven months ago. Oh, she's a smart cookie, she burned her credit history."

"Okay, that's one piece of the equation," Charlie offered.

Blake nodded and spoke. "Based on these letters, it sounds like a classically possessive stalker."

JJ agreed. "He craves validation and recognition. Keeps using phrases like 'Why won't you see me?' 'Do you think you're better than me?'"

"Suicidal ideation also comes through. 'When I find you, I'm going to kill you and then myself,'" Morgan added.

Rossi sighed, eying his young friend. "Murder-suicide is the ultimate 'I love you' to these guys. It's a good thing we're trying to figure out who this is now before he actually got his hands on her."

Hotch nodded. "Reid, do you think you could convince her to come in willingly? We can offer her a protection detail until we figure this out, if needed." There would be some red tape with that, but Hotch had seen and heard enough for now. He was also hopeful they might be able to crack the case today. There were likely clues in the letters and that she could reveal when they talked with her that could lead them to the stalker, even if it took a little while going over every detail.

Reid bit his lip nervously. He was worried about how upset she was going to be. "What if she won't tell me where she is?"

"I can run a trap and trace. You have to page her, right? She won't know if the number isn't an actual pay phone. As long as you keep her talking long enough, I can find her location. So, even if she doesn't tell you willingly, we can get her location and get her." Garcia replied and then looked at Hotch, making sure he approved of her idea. "Right?" He nodded.

Charlie stood up and caught Reid's eyes. "You said you'd do whatever it takes."

Reid sighed. "Okay, let me call her." He looked at the group. "Can I, um, have some privacy?" The group nodded and left the room.

Garcia paused at the doorway. "Give me a couple minutes to put a trace on your cell and then page, okay?"

Reid nodded, taking a seat at the table. He really hoped she wouldn't be mad at him or would at least forgive him when this was all over with. After what he felt was enough time, he paged her. He felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest when his phone rang.

"Hello."

" _Spencer, what's wrong? I thought we agreed to go back to just Sunday calls."_

Reid bit his lip. "I know, but um…"

" _What is it? You sound tense."_

Reid closed his eyes, cursing her ability to read his body language through the phone. "Please don't be mad, but I told my team about you Maeve. We want to help." It was silent for a moment and he started to panic. "Please don't hang up. I know you are trying to protect me, but I can't just sit by while you're in danger."

" _Why didn't you respect my wishes?"_ Her voice was soft, hurt. _"If he found you, I couldn't live…"_ He heard her swallow a sob like yesterday.

"And I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you and I didn't do everything in my power to stop it because I can't lose you, Maeve. I—" He stopped short, planning on saving those words for when they met in person. He still wasn't sure if she had meant to say that yesterday or not.

" _You…what?"_

"I love you," he whispered. Not wanting to give her time to reply, he continued. "If you tell me where you are, we can come get you right now and put you into protective custody. We can keep you safe until we figure out who your stalker is and put them behind bars. Please Maeve…"

" _Okay."_

Reid blinked. "Okay?"

He could hear her smile. _"Yeah, okay."_ Reid barely had his wits about him to write down the address she rattled off.

"We'll be there soon. Thank you for trusting me."

" _You're welcome, Spencer."_ He opened his mouth to say goodbye. _"And I love you too. See you soon."_

Reid stared at his phone for a moment, processing that. A smile crept across his face as he registered her words. Yesterday was a slip, but that just now…wasn't.

"Reid?"

He looked up to see Morgan standing there with Charlie. He smiled. "Sorry, zoned out for a moment. I've got her location." He grabbed the paper and handed it to Morgan.

Both men smiled, but Morgan spoke. "Then let's go get your girl, Pretty Boy."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid bit his lip as they stood outside her door. JJ and Morgan exchanged a glance and smile at his nervousness. "You can do it," JJ encouraged. Reid turned and caught her eyes and her reassuring smile. He nodded and knocked on the door a few times.

"Who is it?" They heard through the door.

Reid took a deep breath. "It's Dr. Joseph Bell," he greeted, knowing that would set her mind at ease that it was actually him. He could hear the locks releasing and then the door slowly opened. He locked eyes with her and smiled. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. But, his nerves overtook him and he could barely get out his greeting. "Hi."

Maeve smiled. He was memorized by actually seeing it instead of just hearing it. "Hi." Neither noticed the two agents entertained by their cute exchange. "Um, come in?" Maeve opened the door wider and the three entered her apartment. Reid vaguely registered the piles of books scattered around, not unlike his own place. The couple locked eyes again and both smiled, cherishing the moment of finally seeing each other in person, even if it wasn't how either had envisioned it in their minds.

JJ softly cleared her throat after a minute. Maeve broke eye contact with Reid and met hers. "Hi Maeve, I'm JJ and this is Morgan." Morgan nodded and smiled at her. "The rest of the team is back at the office. In order to figure out who is stalking you, it would probably be best if we go back there and ask you a few more things. Things that you two may have not talked about yet."

Maeve nodded. "Okay. Let me just grab my sweater."

"If you have kept anything your stalker has sent you, that would be useful as well," Morgan added. Again she nodded and went down the hall to get a few things. The three silently took in things in the apartment. Reid smiled at the Doyle stack of books, clearly well read. Morgan noticed the papers on the desk, most of it not making sense to him, but he noticed some cancer terminology on them. JJ caught sight of a few photos on a bookshelf. One was clearly of Maeve with her parents. The other had Maeve with a young man. She frowned and snapped a photo of the framed piece on her phone before Maeve returned.

She was carrying a few things with her. "Should I put on my disguise?"

Reid shook his head. "No, you should be fine."

"Okay." She set those items down and grabbed her messenger bag that had some letters and her laptop in it. Morgan smiled softly at the bag and sweater, similar to the attire his friend owned.

The group headed out the door, allowing her time to lock up. Morgan took the lead and JJ let the couple take the middle, covering the rear just in case. Reid opened the door to the back of the SUV for her, earning him another smile as she pushed some hair behind her ear. He could hardly contain the butterflies in his stomach. Gently closing it behind her, he quickly ran to the other side to climb in as Morgan and JJ took the front. He fiddled with his seatbelt and then set his hand on the middle seat, not sure of what to say or do.

Maeve made the decision for him when she gently brushed her hand against his, overlapping a few fingers with his. Reid locked eyes with her and smiled.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

"We'll go to the conference room so you can meet the rest and then we'll get started, okay?" JJ clarified to Maeve as the exited the elevator onto the sixth floor.

"Okay," Maeve replied. She took in the office area as they headed to the second level. She looked at Reid. "It's just how you described."

Reid smiled nervously and nodded. When they entered the room, he made quick work of introducing the rest of the team. Then he got to Charlie. "And, um, this is my friend Charlie from CalSci. He's…consulting with us."

Charlie smiled and stuck out his hand, which Maeve shook. "Charles Eppes. It's great to meet you Maeve even though these circumstances aren't ideal. And I think I'm more here for moral support, but that doesn't matter right now."

Maeve smiled and then tilted her head. "Wait, did you say Eppes?" Charlie nodded. "As in the Eppes Convergence?"

Reid and Charlie grinned, the former answering. "You know Charlie's work from his teen years?" The conversation was distracting him from being too awkward.

Charlie smirked at his seemingly dig at the older man's age. "Don't be jealous, Spencer, it's not a good look for you."

Maeve chuckled as Reid rolled his eyes. "What are you working on now?"

Hotch cleared his throat and Charlie smiled, answering her. "We can talk about that later Maeve." He gestured for her to take a seat at the table, taking one by the wall to allow the BAU to do their work. The team of profilers took their seats as well.

She opened her messenger bag, handing Morgan the letters, who shared them with the group. She pulled out her laptop. "I brought this too but I usually delete all the emails."

Garcia held her hands out. "I'll be the judge of that, my dear." Maeve handed her the laptop and Garcia started to dig.

"Maeve," Hotch started, "when did this all start?"

"About nine months, I've been in hiding for seven. It just started out of the blue. I was at work one day and found a note on my desk. Then it became emails and calls. There were photos sent to my place a few weeks before I went into hiding," Maeve answered.

"Likely some incidental event that was major to the unsub," Morgan commented, looking up from the letters, which were similar in tone to what she had described in her letters to Reid. He looked back down as he asked the next question. "What exactly do you do as a geneticist?"

"I worked at Mendel University, where I was working on Cyclic Adenosine monophosphate research. I'm also conducting an oncology project with my mother, but I don't think the lab was aware of that. I work with five other researchers in the lab."

Reid raised an eyebrow, "Oncology project with your mother?"

Maeve nodded and caught his eyes. "She's a geneticist too…well was. She's retired now, but she has cancer so we started a project together. It's one of the reasons I never moved to another state, so we could be somewhat close enough to exchange data at least." Reid nodded, sending her a sad smile at that revelation.

"What other duties do you have in the lab besides your research?" asked Rossi.

She bit her lip, thinking. "They wanted me to teach some classes, but given the progress I was making on my research they decided to have that be my main focus. I do still review PhD candidates' research and supervise some of the students helping on my project, however."

Blake took over, "So who all do you have contact with on a regular basis? Are they all men?"

Maeve nodded. "For the most part, yes. All the other geneticists in the lab are men; there are five of them. I don't think it's them though. I think there may be a few female research assistants, but none on my team."

Hotch looked at Garcia, "Can you—"

"Dig up everything I can on the fellow docs and students at Mendel? Already on it, boss man," Garcia replied, cutting him off.

JJ decided to be the one to take on the question she had a feeling she knew the answer to, but Reid probably didn't. "Were you dating anyone at the time? Could it have been a date gone bad?"

Maeve bit her lip again and looked down. Reid frowned. "Maeve, it's okay."

She sighed but didn't meet his eyes, afraid of how he was going to react. "I was engaged."


	37. Set it Free

"…Set it Free"

October 2012

* * *

"Engaged?" Reid repeated. "As in engaged to be married?" Charlie frowned from his seat.

She looked up finally and nodded. The whole room could see the shock and pain on Reid's face. "I'm sorry, Spence, I should have told you, but it was over with Bobby by the time we started to exchange letters and then I didn't know how to bring it up when we talked."

"What happened to spending your Friday nights with just your microscope?" he asked softly.

She reached over, taking his hand even as he resisted some. He looked down to the floor. "That was the truth. Bobby was my first serious relationship and I was so surprised by the fact that someone cared for me that I didn't realize he could be a little controlling until after we were engaged. It would have ended even if this stalking hadn't all started, Spence. You have to believe me. It's different with you."

"Different how?"

"It's effortless." He finally met her eyes and smiled softly at that answer. That comment made Charlie smile as well. That's how he often felt with Amita, well after they figured out how to transition from their student/teacher relationship to an actual romantic one.

Blake softly cleared her throat, getting the couple's attention. "And you don't think he was involved?"

Maeve shook his head. "No, the photos…they had him in them as well."

"We should still probably talk to him," JJ replied.

"Wouldn't it be statistically improbable for it to be a team? If he's in the photos too, it sounds more like he was stalked as well at the end," Charlie chimed in.

Rossi nodded. "Yes, but he made have noticed something that she didn't, which could be helpful." Charlie nodded in reply.

"His name is Robert Putnam," Maeve supplied. Garcia was quick to pull up his information for the group.

Garcia started her report. "Robert Putnam, 32 years old. Works as a lawyer at Martin, Dasher and Stewart, specializes in environmental law. Son of Cathyrne and Dean Putman, has a older brother Bryan who's a surgical fellow at George Washington. No arrests, tickets, unusual medical records...nothing that stands out as hinky." She projected up a photo of him with a young woman with long brown hair, not unlike Maeve's. "This is from his Facebook page."

"Who's the girl?" Morgan asked. The group looked at Maeve, who shrugged.

"I don't think I've seen her before," Maeve answered.

"She's tagged as a Diane Huntington. I'll see what I can dig up," Garcia commented. The group nodded although they had no reason to suspect her at this time.

Reid turned in his seat and happened to catch a look on his mentor's face. "Charlie?"

The group turned to the mathematician, who opened his mouth and then shut it. "It's probably nothing; I don't have any data to support it."

"Throw it out anyway, Teach. It doesn't hurt for another point of view at this," Morgan replied.

The professor ran his hand through his hair. "It's just that you've referred to her stalker as a man. Could it be a woman?"

JJ thought that over, "Well, it would be statistically unlikely, only about ten percent of stalker cases are women."

"Ten percent really isn't a small percentage when you think about in terms of statistics, JJ," Charlie countered. He stood up and paced a little before turning to look at the profilers, "How many people do you think you need in a room before the probability of two of them sharing the same birthday is greater than 50 percent? Spencer, Maeve, you two can't answer."

The table of profilers and technical analyst looked at each other and then back at him. Reid and Maeve shared a glance, both smiling softly. Both knew the answer and Reid, in particular, could see the point he was trying to make. He hadn't thought about it himself.

Blake took a stab at it, "40?" Charlie shook his head.

Morgan guessed next, "55?"

"Wrong direction," Charlie answered. He turned to the cleared white board in the room and grabbed the dry erase marker, writing up an equation and explaining it, "…which is why it only takes 23."

The group blinked, but Rossi spoke. "That's fascinating, Charlie, but this helps us how?"

"I'm merely pointing out that just because only ten percent of your stalking cases in the past are from women, that basing the foundation of your profile on that data may be falsely eliminating Maeve's stalker. You say one in ten stalking cases are by women. There are nine of us in this room right now, with 44% being female. If you were to put a random ten people in the room, the odds would actually favor more women than men, unlike right now." He paused just a second to let that all sink in. "So, why not look at the actual behavior without that assumption and see where that gets us?" Charlie questioned.

Reid was following where he was going all along. "Let's toss gender out of the profile." He looked at Morgan, "What are our most common reasons for stalking across both genders?"

The obsessional expert spoke up. "You've got rejected, resentful, intimacy seeking, incompetent suitor, erotomania, and predatory. Unsubs can be a former lover, someone feeling slighted or spurned by the victim, or someone wanting an intimate relationship, or just a sexual interaction, with the victim but is not actually an active person in the victim's life. Celebrity stalking cases, for example. Not all stalkers are violent and not all have suicidal ideations." Charlie's eyes grew wide for a moment, absorbing that information. So did Maeve's.

JJ looked at her friend's new love. "Maeve, you mentioned Bobby was your first serious relationship?" The brunette nodded. "Any other relationships, no matter how long they lasted, that we should know about? Even something like a blind date gone bad or a one night stand?"

Maeve bit her lip, thinking. "I doubt it. Bobby and I were together almost a year before the stalking began, getting engaged the month before it started. Before I met him, I hadn't even gone on a date in a few months. Then there were two other guys before that, each only lasting a handful of dates. I'm pretty sure Justin moved to Boston to continue his Parkinson's research at Harvard and David is still in the Peace Core overseas." A few of the profilers schooled their expressions at the details about those men, noticing a type emerging. Reid seemed to fit that pretty well – smart, ambitious, determined to make a difference.

"So that likely rules out prior intimacy as the cause," Rossi commented. He looked at some of the letters again. "Sounds more like someone you've rejected in some fashion. Anyone show romantic interest in you even if they knew you were with Bobby?"

She shook her head again, "No. All my coworkers are very respectful, as were the students I worked with."

Reid had turned in his chair some again and saw the change in Charlie's face first. Somehow that jogged an idea in him as well. "Students…"

Charlie nodded. "Didn't you say you review PhD candidates work?" Maeve nodded. "Reject a lot of their dissertations?"

She thought that over. "A fair amount." Before she could elaborate, a groan came from the technical analyst.

"Baby Girl?"

"So Bobby has this girl tagged as Diane Huntington on his Facebook page, right? But I can't find anything on a Diane Huntington anywhere else aside from her page. No social security card or birth certificate. I hacked Bobby's call log and figured out she calls him from a burner phone. She's pure vapor." She paused to take a breath. "So I'm running facial recognition on the image to see if I can find her elsewhere, but some parameters to narrow that down would be nice."

The team latched onto that piece of information. "If she's using a fake ID and a burner phone, she could very well be the stalker trying to get to Maeve through Bobby since she's disappeared," Blake stated.

"What if the rejection of her work turned into a need to possess? And now that she doesn't have access to Maeve, she went to Bobby in hopes that he'll eventually lead her to her main target?" Morgan offered.

Maeve was confused, "But I'm not the only one that reviews those. Others would have to reject her work as well before being turned down, it isn't decided by just one person to avoid bias."

Reid tilted his head, running through something in his head. A move Charlie caught first. "Spencer?"

He turned to look at his…was Maeve his girlfriend? He pushed that thought back for now. "But you're the only woman doctor in the lab, a star in your field."

Hotch picked up his meaning. "A celebrity of sorts for your area. It could be she looked up to you initially, but then she found out her application was rejected and that you were on the committee. In her mind, that group rejection was really just a personal one from you."

"If I may," Charlie injected. The group looked at him. "Even though we are constantly trying to recruit more women into the math and sciences field, there is still often a competitive nature between applicants for doctorates, research funding, and jobs." He caught Reid's eye in particular. "After Amita finished her second doctorate, she had a chance to work at Harvard. She admitted to me later that one of the reasons she considered it over taking the CalSci job was fear people would think she got the CalSci job _because_ she was with me, even though we didn't actually start to really date until after she accepted the job. Even after that, our department head, Dr. Mildred Finch, wasn't happy with our relationship initially. I think Millie was concerned about how it would reflect on Amita and that other women in the department or recent graduates might misconstrue the situation."

"Where are you going with this, Charlie?" JJ asked.

Maeve picked it up. "When men get jealous on the world of academia and research, like say my coworkers, they would be jealous of me because they wanted that success for themselves. But, women would get jealous because they don't want to you to have it, like it makes them look bad because you _had_ success instead of being happy for you. Sometimes the institution can turn us against each other."

That's all Garcia needed to hear. "Okay, running that photo against rejected PhD candidates from Mendel University." The team paused while she worked, everyone noticing the stolen glances being exchanged between the new couple in the room and smiling to themselves. None of the team or Charlie had ever seen Reid like that; they would make _sure_ Maeve was safe so he could hopefully stay that way for a long time to come.

"Eureka!" Garcia exclaimed, snapping them all back to reality. She projected an image up on the screen. "Real name is Diane Turner. She was a research assistant that had a rejected PhD application at Mendel. She left not long after Maeve and now works at a junior college."

"I know you got more than that, Sweetness," Morgan commented.

"Patience, my Adonis, patience." Her fingers had been continuing to fly across her keyboard. "Oh."

"What oh?" Blake asked.

Garcia sighed. "Her parents committed suicide when she was eight."

Maeve sat up straight. "I remember her now." The table all looked at her. "Her research was on _Spontaneous Cellular Death in Suicide Patients_."

Reid and Charlie both exchanged a look. "Cells don't behave that way," the mathematician commented.

She nodded. "Exactly, but that wasn't the basis of my rejection. She included her parents in her sample size."

"Biased data," Reid remarked.

"That's her," Hotch finalized. "Garcia do you have an address for her?"

"One sec boss man."

Maeve looked at the screen, the image of her stalker with her ex still on the screen. "What about Bobby? Should I call and warn him?" She bit her lip, assuming the worse. "What if she's hurt him because of me?"

Reid felt a pang of jealousy in his heart at those words. Should he let her go back to him after all this was over? They _had_ been engaged. His supposed 'controlling' behavior might have come from fear when the stalking started after all.

JJ eyed Reid as she answered, knowing her friend well enough to know where his thoughts went. "If she's with him and you told him, that could get ugly fast. It's better he not know until we get her in custody. We can check his place to be safe, however."

"Um." The group looked at the mathematician again. Charlie was beginning to feel out of place, not having any math to help them out. "What exactly can be done when you _do_ find her?"

Morgan sighed, "Well, now that we know who the stalker is, Maeve can get a restraining order. She can also go in for a forced psychiatric hold in a hospital. Given the tone of some of her notes, I suspect she'll meet criteria to transfer to a facility for awhile and hopefully get the help she needs."

"Bobby's home and work addresses, her _real_ address and the college's address all just sent. Based on what I see here, she _should_ be teaching right now," Garcia supplied.

All the profilers stood up. "Rossi, Blake, check her place. Morgan, JJ, go to Bobby's home. If he's not there, check the law firm. I'll take Anderson with me to the college."

"Hotch?" Reid questioned.

"You're staying here, Reid." He didn't trust Reid to stay clear headed right now. Reid opened his mouth to object when Hotch put a hand on his shoulder and guided his youngest agent out onto the walkway. He dropped his voice to keep the conversation just between them. "Diane doesn't know we're on to her; she has no idea that Maeve is with us. We're all going in with soft approaches and I'm not sure you can pull that off without tipping off our hand."

"I'll be fine, Hotch."

The unit chief sighed. "Maeve also just found out who has been torturing her for seven months and that a person in her life might be in danger. She needs you right now." He made sure he had Reid's eye contact. "You say you love her, Spencer, so support her. _That's_ where you can be the most helpful for this case."

Reid nodded, unable to stop the small smile that crossed his face at his boss' words. _The woman I love._ He reentered the room as the rest filed out. Charlie eyed the couple and then looked at Garcia. She seemed to have the same thought. "I'm going to get all these digitally transferred to our records in my lair for the judge later on, just in case." She gathered the letters that Maeve had kept from Diane. "Want to help me, Teach?"

Charlie smiled and nodded, following her out the room and leaving the doctors in love alone. Reid took his seat back next to her by the table. He bit his lip, suddenly not sure what to say. His head was flooded with thoughts about how amazing it was to be with her in this room, but at the same time worried she'd go back to Bobby. Or if she'd just leave because she was mad he got the team involved.

He finally snapped out of it when he felt her take his hand. She had moved her chair closer to him. He looked up and met her eyes. "Thank you, Spence," she stated.

"For what?"

"For pushing. I know it's not over, that they still need to find her and make sure Bobby's—" She felt him stiffen. "okay." His eyes looked down again. "Spence, I just want him to be okay. I'd feel guilty if something happened to him because she was trying to use him to get to me. It doesn't mean I want to get back together with him."

He met her eyes again. "You can't know that for sure. You've been under a great deal of stress, your adrenaline and cortisol levels have been elevated for a long time and could be impacting your thought processes…"

She raised an eyebrow and smiled softly. He couldn't believe how beautiful her smile was. "Trying to school me on how the brain works, Dr. Reid?" He couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face at that.

"I suppose that would be a futile argument." She laughed at his response and his smile grew. When she calmed down, he squeezed her hand a little more. "It feels nice talking to you face-to-face."

She smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear with her other hand. "It is, it really is."

Reid quickly ran through what he had learned today and chose to distract her while they waited on news. "How is your mom doing? Why didn't you mention that before?"

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie watched Garcia with amusement as she scanned letters while simultaneously trying to talk him into telling her more college Spencer stories. So far she'd gotten more details out of him about the boat race as well as when he argued – unsuccessfully – to try to get a license at fourteen. "I remember during my first semester, well my only semester at CalSci, that hacks were a big deal. Did he ever do one of those?"

"You went to CalSci?" Charlie asked, enjoying the sip of coffee they had stopped to get after they left the conference room.

"Hmm, yes," Garcia commented, turning back to her screens. He opened his mouth to question further when her phone rang. "Hey Boss Man." He watched as she frowned as she listened to the update. "Okay. No, I can tell them."

She turned to the mathematician and he was afraid to ask. "What happened?"

She sighed. "Maeve won't need that restraining order." She stood up and he followed her out to the conference room. She gently knocked and poked her head in to see the couple still at the table, holding hands. "Well, I have good news and, well, sad news I guess, my lovely nerd couple."

"What happened, Garcia?" Reid asked, fearing the worse. They were both now standing.

"Well, first off, Bobby is fine, he was at work. So was Diane. Hotch went in soft, talking to her after her chemistry lab got out, but she pieced together what he was there for and ran." Reid felt Maeve squeeze his hand harder. "All the way to the roof of the four story building they were in. He tried to talk her down, but…" Reid sighed. As relieved as he was to know it was over, it still saddened him that Diane didn't get the help she needed. "Blake and Rossi found evidence at her address to confirm she was your stalker, Maeve. It's over."

He could now feel her relax, a few tears coming to her eyes after hearing those last two words. He turned to meet her eyes and in an uncharacteristic move for him, he pulled her in for a hug. She softly cried out of relief for a few moments on his shoulder before pulling back. She moved to kiss him for what would be their first kiss when he pulled back.

"Spence?" She blinked, confused and hurt.

"Not like this. Not right after all this is over when your emotions are all jumbled together. Not at my work," he offered.

She smiled softly, wiping her tear stains away. "Okay."

He took her hand again, trying to decide how he wanted to do to this, to make sure it was right, it was _real_. "Let me take you home. I know you're going to want to tell your parents…and everyone else important to you that this is over, that you can come out of hiding." She nodded and he led her out the room.

"Should we wait for the team to come back? I want to thank them," she commented as they reached the elevators.

"You can some other time, they'll understand." She accepted that answer. Soon he was walking her back up to her apartment. Once she had the door unlocked, he finally took a leap of faith and spoke again.

"Maeve. I'm going to give you my cell number and my address. I want…" he took a deep breath. "I want you to take some time adjusting back to your normal life. Get back to work, live somewhere you _want_ to live, not just because you had to move again. See your parents." He bit his lip. "Get closure with Bobby." He took another breath. "I want you to take time to do that and _then_ contact me."

"Why Spence? Why separate now that we can finally be together?"

He closed his eyes for a second, pushing down his emotions, and then opened them. "About seven years ago, I helped protect another woman from her stalker and she claimed she was attracted to me. We kept in contact for a few months after that, but eventually the shock of the event wore off and so did her feelings. Same thing happened four years ago, albeit that was an even shorter timeframe. I want _this_ to be real, Maeve. I don't want us to rush, only to have you discover in a little while that your feelings came from the desire and then fruition of me rescuing you. I'm not sure I can handle that."

She sighed, but nodded. "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be." He smiled just a fraction and nodded, handing her his card with his home address on it. She hugged him before he could react. When she pulled back just a fraction, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Spence. I'll talk to you soon, I promise."

* * *

 **A/N: Don't kill me! You may not like that ending, but his reaction came out of me almost immediately as I wrote this and after re-reading it many times, I _still_ support this would have been his decision if they had saved her, particularly with Bobby still alive. Everyone asked me to keep her alive, but you didn't specify that they should be riding off into the sunset in the end. Which, when you think about it, is _completely_ unrealistic. But, don't panic, this isn't the last time you've seen her either.**


	38. New Year

"New Year"

December 31, 2012

* * *

Charlie smiled at the sight of his family in his living room, laughing as Colby regaled them with a story about a recent arrest where their perp thought he could outrun him. They could _never_ outrun him. He was looking forward to the New Year – their new addition, in particular. Yet, there was a part of him that was saddened. He couldn't help but think about Spencer. The team, himself included, had been completely stunned when he told them what he told Maeve. Charlie felt for him, for the fact that he was complied to make that choice. He also felt guilty for teasing him about Lila a few years ago. As a man of logic, he saw the sound reasoning behind Spencer's decision. As _just_ a man, however, he wanted his little 'brother' happy.

That had been nearly two and a half months ago. He was dying to know their relationship status, but he also didn't want to pry that information out of the younger man. He was trying to remain optimistic since he had witnessed the love shining from both of their eyes that day. Not remotely scientific, but he was holding on to it until he was told otherwise.

"You okay?" Charlie looked over to see Liz standing next to him. "You seem distracted. Worried about baby Eppes?"

Charlie smiled. "I'm okay, although, yes, distracted. Not about baby Eppes though."

The agent tilted her head. "What's up?"

He shook his head. "Just wondering how Spencer's doing, how 2013 might be for him." Liz smiled and nodded, shoulder bumping him before heading back to the rest. She could tell it was best to let that be, to leave the mathematician to his musings for now.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid climbed the stairs to his apartment, worn out from the last case in Texas. At least it distracted him from the fact that he still desperately missed Maeve. He couldn't believe it had been 67 days. He knew that she had to take as much time as she needed, but it had been the longest 67 days of his life. After having weekly phone calls and letters with her, he hadn't realized just how big of an adjustment it would be to go back to solitude. He wouldn't change anything; just knowing she was alive and free from her nightmare was worth it. He just missed _her_.

Now he was about to start 2013 alone. Just like every year. He had begged off Garcia and Morgan's attempts to get him to join them at a party. If he was going to be alone, he'd rather do it with a book than in a crowded bar. As he turned to face his door, he blinked when he noticed a package propped up against it. He bent down and picked it up, noting the simple wrapping with a small cloth bow wrapped around it and no label. He was quite curious and quickly opened his door, tossing his bags down by his couch before peeling back the paper.

He smiled when he saw _The Narrative of John Smith_ under the paper. He bit his lip and opened it, wondering if there was a note. He couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face when he recognized Maeve's handwriting.

 _Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone. We find with another. –Thomas Merton_

He barely had time for that to fully sink in before he heard a knock on his door. He took a deep breath as he set the book down on the back of the couch and headed to the door. One more breath and he opened it; his heart soaring was he took in her beautiful, smiling face.

"Hi," she greeted.

He grinned, "Hi." He paused, "You came back."

She nodded. "I hope my gift shows you I'm not going anywhere."

Reid bit his lip, wanting nothing more than to kiss her - their first kiss - but he wanted to be sure. "Are you sure you've had enough time to think clearly about this?"

Maeve smiled and nodded. "I'm ready, Spence. I'm back at work, adjusting, but back. I've seen my parents; moved into a new place." Her smiled faded some to show she was serious. "Got closure with Bobby. He could tell I had moved on before I had even opened my mouth. Told me he could see it in my eyes, Spence. That I had found some _one_ and that it wasn't him." She reached over and took ahold of his hand. "You know those other women you mentioned?" Reid nodded. "The difference between them and me is that they only met you for a short time, during their crisis. They didn't get to know you like I did, like I do." She ran a hand through his hair, resting it on his cheek. "I know what's in here," her finger gently tapped his temple before her hand slid down and rested on his chest, over his heart. "And in here."

Her words – her _touch_ – were all he needed to hear and feel. Reid closed the distance between them, gently cupping her cheek with his free hand. When their lips met, it was gentle, sweet, and full of promise of a future _together_. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, seeing her _love_ shining in them. It was different than any other look he'd been on the receiving end of and it made his heart race. "I've missed you."

Maeve smiled, "I've missed you Spence. I love you."

"I love you too Maeve," he whispered back before their lips met once more. So much for starting the New Year alone; he couldn't be happier to be wrong.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Charlie laughed as Larry attempted to draw something for Nikki and his dad to guess during a round of Pictionary. The agents had decided they didn't want to attempt poker with the professors so this became their game to play while they counted down to 2013. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Fishing it out, he grinned at the caller ID and quickly excused himself outside.

"Hey," he greeted.

" _Hi Charlie."_

The mathematician blinked at hearing a woman's voice when his caller ID had said 'Spencer Reid' on it. The particular voice that he heard made his heart _so_ happy. "Maeve?"

" _Yes, sorry for the confusion. Spence thought it would be funny if I called you from his number."_

Charlie chuckled softly. He could easily deduce what that meant. "I've never been more grateful to be confused."

" _Thank you, Charlie."_

He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

" _For pushing Spence to push me into letting you all help. You have no idea how great it feels to finally have my life back. Actually, to have it even better than it was before,"_ she answered. Reid squeezed her hand as they sat facing each other on his couch. It was nearly one AM in DC and the new couple had brought in 2013 traditionally, Reid enjoying his first ever New Year's kiss. After savoring the moment for a while, the first person the profiler had wanted to tell was his old professor.

"You are so very welcome," he answered and then paused. "Maeve, take care of him. He's like a brother to me."

" _I will Charlie, I promise."_ Reid raised an eyebrow at that, curious.

"It's our turn, Charlie," Amita commented, sticking her head out the door.

He nodded and Maeve heard that as well. _"I'll let you go, Charlie. I'm sure Spence will call you again soon. Happy New Year."_

"Happy New Year to you two as well." They said their goodbyes and looked back at their loves.

Both geniuses, each on a different coast, were thinking about how _amazing_ this next year was going to be.

* * *

 **A/N: First of all, I'm glad so many of you were perfectly okay with how that went down in the last chapter. Secondly, I didn't want to drag that relationship drama out too long but give Maeve what seemed like a reasonable amount of time to get closer to normal.** **You didn't think I would actually keep them apart, did you?**

 **Since that is now resolved, this story will go back to its normal focus – our geniuses. Remember this is about Reid and Charlie's friendship, so don't expect a lot of Reid/Maeve. This relationship will, however, change the dynamics of our bromance and the trajectory/life choices made by Reid that would not have occurred if she had died as she did in canon. B** **ut I still think there are a _couple_ of things they can talk about for the remainder of season 8 and through season 9. I've written the final chapter and this story will be ending right before season 10 of CM, which will be explained at that time (so 6 more chapters to go).**


	39. Paternal Instinct

"Parental Instinct"

May 2013

* * *

Charlie frowned as he watched the news report about a nanny and the child under her care being abducted from Griffith Park.

"Charlie, you okay?"

He looked up to see his wife and son coming towards him. Amita had just left to change their one month old before the breaking news. He smiled softly at her as she sat down next to him, their little bundle fussing a little in her arms. He sighed and nodded towards the television where she saw the report, the information repeatedly scrolling underneath the reporter. "I feel horrible for Phoebe's parents. I hated those cases when I worked with Don, but now…"

Amita nodded, "I know what you mean. I guess its true that everything changes after you become a parent, including how you react to things." He met her eyes for a moment before they both recognized a voice coming from the television. Both blinked as they took in the profilers on the screen. They listened closely to their profile.

Charlie could see Amita tear up some when the Paytons talked about Phoebe and Gina. He wrapped an arm around her, resting his other hand under his boy. He bit his lip while wondering if there was anything he could do to help the BAU out.

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

Reid ran his hand through his hair as they returned to the LAPD office to wrap up the paperwork while JJ and Morgan wrapped up at the scene. He was so relieved that they were able to get Gina and Phoebe home safe; proud of what JJ and Morgan have been able to accomplish with Tara as well. Cases involving kids were never easy and he had found them more difficult after Henry entered his life. But now that he could actually _see_ a future with Maeve, a future that he hadn't dare to dream of before, the cases with kids hit him a little harder.

He walked through the lobby, oblivious of his surroundings until he heard a voice. "Hey Spencer."

He quickly spun on his heels. "Charlie? What are you doing here?"

The shorter man stood from the bench he had been sitting on. "Well, I came down here a while ago to see if I could help in anyway, but you were all already in the field. Then I heard one of the cops say you caught the guy right before I was going to leave so I decided to stay."

Reid wrinkled his brow, "Why?"

Charlie noticed the figure coming up behind his friend and smiled. "So you could meet someone."

Reid blinked in confusion for a second before it registered. Spinning again, he saw Amita approaching with a stroller. He couldn't stop the wide smile that crossed his face. "Hi Amita. How are you doing?"

The Indian beauty smiled in return, "I'm good, Spencer. Still adjusting some, but we've gotten into a good routine."

Charlie moved to stand next to his wife and pulled back the awning of the stroller, scooping up the boy with faint, black hair, chestnut eyes and olive skin. "Spencer, I'd like you to meet Matthew David Eppes."

Reid smiled as he took in the boy with awe. He had seen photos, of course, congratulating the couple over the phone and with a gift that Maeve and JJ helped him pick out and send a few months ago, but it was different seeing the infant in person. Amita smiled at his expression. "Do you want to hold him?"

"I, um, sure," Reid stammered, pulling up the memory of baby Henry to hold him a little more comfortably. Charlie transferred the baby into his embrace where he was quickly met with eyes staring back up at him. "Hi Matthew," he murmured.

Charlie smiled at the sight. "You and Maeve thinking about having kids?"

The profiler briefly looked up at his friend. "We're discussing it." They were leaning more towards adoption given his genetic makeup _and_ her strong cancer genes, her mother not the only person in her family history with cancer. He also knew how many kids ended up in the foster system that could use a good home, particularly with someone who could help them through their issues more than most. He had actually been talking to Don about it since the elder Eppes couple had started the process, Robin unable to conceive. There needed to be an engagement and wedding first, but both wanted to be on the same page before making that full commitment.

"Well, what do we have here?"

The three doctors turned to see Rossi with a big grin. Blake quickly appeared next to him, also with a smile. "Hey guys," Charlie greeted. "I know this isn't the most orthodox place to introduce Spencer to Matthew, but I figured I should take advantage of him being in LA while I could."

Reid turned a little so his coworkers could see the baby. However, he was too intrigued to hand him over just yet. He ran a finger over his tiny hand; getting his fingers to grip around it and making him smile wider. "He's beautiful you two," Blake commented.

"Agreed," Rossi commented. Reid didn't notice the senior agent take a photo of him holding the baby to share later.

"Thank you," Amita replied.

"You look good holding a baby, Spence. Should Henry be looking forward to a new playmate soon?"

Reid looked up at the new voice. He saw her smile, but could also tell this case had worn her out. Thinking about Henry as well, no doubt. "Not yet, JJ, but maybe someday."

JJ's smile grew as she came closer. She was one person Reid would hand the infant over to, sensing her need to hold an innocent close for a moment before they could get her back home to own. He gently transferred the baby to his friend, happy to see a more genuine smile cross her face. "He's breathtaking, Charlie, Amita."

Charlie smiled, "Thanks." He eyed the team, "So is Phoebe Payton going to be okay? Gina?"

Morgan sighed, "With time, yes. Hopefully this won't leave too much of a mark on Phoebe. It will take Gina longer to recover." Charlie nodded as the three senior agents left the group to wrap things up, leaving the two youngest BAU agents with the young family.

Reid eyed his friend. "Feels different, doesn't it?" Charlie looked at him, tilting his head. "Cases with kids now that you have a kid. It would certainly explain your need to come down here to see if you can help."

Charlie shrugged. "Profilers…"

JJ sighed, "Don't need to be a profiler for that one, Charlie. It's human nature. Believe me, I feel it too." She caught Reid's eye and he offered her a sad smile, squeezing her shoulder. Matthew started to fuss some so JJ handed him back to his mother. "Congratulations again, you two." She hugged Charlie quickly before patting Reid's arm and joining the rest.

Amita had settled Matthew some, but the couple could tell they needed to head out so she set him back into the stroller. So could Reid. "Thank you for bringing him by so I could meet him." Charlie and Reid hugged before Amita embraced him as well.

"Of course. He had to meet his Uncle Spencer," Amita smiled.

Reid's eyes lit up at that. "I can't wait until he's old enough to learn magic!"

Charlie groaned.


	40. Guilt

"Guilt"

June 2013

* * *

Reid sat staring at a consult, not even processing what was on the page. It had been a little over two weeks since Curtis killed Strauss and nearly blew up the rest of the team, himself included. Although he had grieved with the team and with Maeve, he was still not sure how to process everything. Or, more preciously, he wasn't sure how to process losing his sponsee. No one knew that, not even Rossi or Maeve. The part that bothered him the most was that Curtis forced her to drink to kill her, taking away her hard work to stay sober. The thought that some unsub could learn about his past and do the same to him…

"Sweet cheeks! You have to see this photo Charlie just sent me!"

Reid nearly jumped out of his chair, startled by Garcia's exclamation and sudden appearance at his desk. "Huh, what?"

Garcia raised an eyebrow, but let that slide for now. She handed him her tablet. "Isn't baby Einstein adorable in the onesie I sent him?" Reid looked over the photo of Matthew, his hair growing in thicker since he saw him last month. He could stop the chuckle that escaped as he read the saying she was talking about: _'It's all fun and games until someone divides by zero.'_

"Where on earth did you find that?" he asked, looking back up at his friend.

"You doubt the all knowing Goddess? If it exist, Boy Wonder, I know how to find it. I found another one referencing Euclidean geometry too."

Reid smiled and shook his head. "Can you image in he grows up to be a jock? Charlie wouldn't have a clue of what to do with him. He's lucky he's got Don and Colby around."

Garcia smiled. "And you have Morgan should the offspring of Maid are more athletic than book smart."

Reid blinked, "Maid?"

"Maeve plus Reid…Maid. You haven't heard that yet? I think JJ and I came up with that as soon as you walked in the door the day after New Years and couldn't wipe that smile off your face," she chuckled at his expression, which turned into an eye roll as she continued. "I heard from Rossi you looked quite cute holding that baby boy last month. Should I be prepping myself for another godchild to spoil?"

Reid sighed. "What is it with this team and wanting me to reproduce?"

Garcia started to laugh at his comment when Morgan just about spit up his coffee as he happened to walk by after hearing that. Garcia laughed even harder at that. "You okay there, Chocolate Bear?"

Morgan smiled as he cleared his throat. "I'm good. As to your question, Pretty Boy…I, for one, just want to see how our genius handles daily diaper changes and midnight feedings."

Garcia nodded. "We just like seeing you happy, Reid. Teasing comes with the territory." Reid rolled his eyes and then noticed her smile drop a little. "Although, speaking of happy, what were you frowning about before I came over here?" That caught Morgan's attention.

"Nothing guys, I'm good," Reid replied, trying to send a reassuring smile. Whether they believed him or not, they let it slide and got back to work. A little while later he headed to get more coffee and thought back to that photo. Sneaking into JJ's old office, which had surprisingly just become storage, he dialed a familiar number.

" _Hey Spencer, what's up?"_

"I see Garcia is helping you project hopes of Matthew enjoying math as much as his parents," he started, easing into his reason to call.

Charlie chuckled. _"You could say that. Amita and I have no idea where she found that but it was cute."_ He paused, remembering the news he'd recently heard about from the east coast…from David of all people. It had quickly circulated around the DC area in the bureau and he wanted to make sure the mathematician knew. _"How are you doing since Strauss…?"_

Reid sighed, running his hand through his hair. For some reason this was easier to talk to Charlie about than the others; he didn't even question the fact that he _knew_ without him telling his friend. Maybe because he was the first to really figure out about his using, sobriety and then near relapse or maybe because of their long history together – longer than anyone else in his life aside from his mother. Either way, he opened up. "I don't know. I, um…" He took a breath. "She was a recovering alcoholic, Charlie, and I um…"

Charlie closed his eyes for a second, sighing. He closed his office door for a moment. _"You were her sponsor, weren't you?"_

He couldn't hold it in. "Yeah. And he killed her by using that against her, forcing her to drink. It just got me…"

" _Thinking about what if one of the monsters you hunt did that to you too?"_ Reid's silence was a good enough confirmation of that thought. _"I can't say I blame you for that thought, to be honest. I'm not sure there's much you can do to prevent that either, aside from being alert like you always are."_

"I know. That just makes this more frustrating," Reid sighed, leaning against the desk.

Charlie thought their conversation over again. _"You don't feel guilty, do you?"_ Again, silence. _"Why would that be your fault, Spencer? It's tragic, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure how you could have prevented it."_

"Maybe if I had devoted more time to cracking the Replicator case, I could have figured out it was an agent with a grudge towards Blake and Strauss. If I hadn't been so distracted with Maeve…"

Charlie shook his head. _"Does anyone on your team think you aren't as devoted to your work now that you're in a relationship?"_

"No." Charlie stayed quiet, causing Reid to sigh. "Okay fine. I just can't help feeling like I let her down."

" _We all feel that when someone we care for dies, Spencer. I felt it for my mom,"_ Charlie offered. No words were spoken for a moment before Charlie decided to change the subject. He knew Spencer just needed to work though that thought process on his own. Hopefully he had at least put him at ease some. _"So, speaking of Matt…he's getting a cousin soon."_

Reid smiled, effectively pulled out of that thought process for now. "Really? Don and Robin got matched?"

" _Sort of. A little girl, two years old. Sadly, her mom died from a drug overdose. Liz actually found her during a case, the mom being a previous rape victim from a cold case that connected to one they were working. Child services wasn't able to locate any other family. They've been fostering her a few weeks and got the go ahead to start the adoption process in August if no family comes forward, which shouldn't be too much of an issue given their professions,"_ Charlie replied. Although the girl had been quick to warm their hearts, but Don and Robin had used their resources to unsuccessfully find her family, just to be safe.

Reid absorbed that, admiring of the elder Eppes and his wife for that choice. "That's amazing."

" _It is. You'll have to come out and meet her soon. You know, when you're_ not _on a case,"_ Charlie teased.

Reid chuckled softly. "Yeah. Maybe soon. I'll keep you posted." He was actually planning on talking to Hotch about taking some vacation to take Maeve to meet his mom.

" _Sounds good. I'll let you get back to work."_ He paused. _"Just keep doing what you're doing, getting justice for your victims, and I think she'd be proud of that, Spencer."_


	41. Twins

"Twins"

September 2013

* * *

"You see Doc and his team made national news? The BAU is trending on Twitter," Colby commented as he took his seat at the table. Colby, Kyle, and Larry were gathered around Don's dining room table, playing poker with the Eppes brothers. Amita had kicked Charlie out of the house for the night. He had been getting on her nerves, still hovering some with Matthew. Robin also needed Don away from Julie for the evening, just about as bad as his younger brother. What they didn't know was that Alan had taken charge of both of his grandchildren, with the help of his girlfriend Sherry, had kicked _them_ out to get dinner with Liz, Nikki, and Colby's girlfriend Sarah.

Larry tilted his head, "What's Twitter and what does it mean to be trending?"

The group chuckled as Kyle answered. "Come on, Major Tom, we've talked about Twitter with some of our cases. Where people talk about things using 140 characters or less? Trending means a lot of people are talking about the same topic."

Larry took sip of his drink and nodded. "Oh right. And quit calling me that."

Charlie smirked. It was fun for him to see how well the newest agent to Liz' team took to Larry, so much so to give him a nickname. "I'll be honest, Colby, I'm out of the loop. Why are they making news?" Colby went on to explain the case of the twins, separated at birth, both turning into murderers.

Charlie and Larry looked each other. "What do you suppose the odds of that are?" Larry asked his younger colleague.

Don and Colby shook their heads, as Charlie seemed to be thinking that over. "I'm sure we could easily run the numbers, Major Tom." Larry squinted at Charlie and threw a pretzel at his head, making the rest laugh. As they settled down, the mathematician added, "I wonder what Spencer's thoughts are on the whole thing."

"You _could_ call and ask him, Bro," Don commented, taking a sip of his beer. "That reminds me, when is that Kid marrying his girl? Those two were like the slightly younger, East coast version of you and Amita."

Colby shook his head, but held in his comment to not upset Larry. Maeve's musings about philosophy reminded him more of Larry. It made him see the couple as the younger, gender reversed version of Larry and Megan, although not quite as much of an opposites attract situation. "It _was_ good to see that smile on the Doc's face." The last time Reid had spent a little time on an actual vacation in LA, they could all see that he wasn't happy. He was having fun with them, but at that time, he was grieving a friend and questioning his career. When they saw him a few months ago with the geneticist, even though he was grieving a loss at that time as well, none of them needed to be a profiler to see the happiness pouring out of him.

Charlie shook his head. "Want me to call and put him on speaker so _you_ can ask Don?" The curled haired man was the only one Reid had confided in that his mom had given him is grandmother's engagement ring after spending the a few days with the couple before they came out to LA. The profiler still hadn't decided how or when he was asking, but the mathematician knew the odds were stacked in his favor for a positive response when he did. But, he wasn't going to tell the rest of them _that_.

Colby stole Charlie's phone, which had been sitting next to him on the table, and dialed, putting it on speaker.

" _Hey Charlie,"_ Reid greeted.

" _Hey Teach!"_

Charlie laughed. "You're on speaker over here with Don, Colby, Kyle and Larry, Spencer. Am I on speaker too?"

" _Hey guys,"_ Reid amended. _"And no, Morgan is just loud. He saw my caller ID. Wha—"_ The group chuckled as they could hear ruckus.

" _Hey there, Pretty Boy's LA crew,"_ Morgan greeted, having stolen his teammate's phone and putting it on speaker. _"What can we do for you?"_

"We wanted to know what your thoughts were on your twins case. It's all over the news and Internet," Don teased.

A soft chuckle came from Reid. _"Actually..."_

JJ's groan came through the phone. _"Spence, please spare us your theory."_ They had just had this conversation before the doctor's phone rang.

"What theory?" Larry asked.

The LA group laughed at the moans from Morgan, JJ, and even Blake came through. They could hear the smile in Reid's voice as he spoke. _"We've all heard the saying of a good twin and an evil twin…"_


	42. Changed

"Changed"

January 2014

* * *

Reid slid into his leather chair and put his head in his hands. He could hardly still process the last 36 hours.

She was _safe_.

They found her in time.

Henry still had his _mother_.

That thought made him heave a heavy sigh, keeping the tears at bay. Why JJ? He had read Askari's methods and it chilled him to his very core to think about what his dear friend had endured. He knew her recovery was going to be a long road, but he wondered if she would even left herself process it.

 _He_ could hardly process the fact that they spent time with Emily at the bar after everything. That had seemed like an odd choice to him, but he could see JJ trying to forget immediately. And, he would admit, it was nice to laugh with his missed friend again. He was just sad that she hadn't been able to meet Maeve. His new fiancé was in San Antonio for a conference. At least Emily enjoyed the rendition of how he had proposed on the anniversary of their first kiss, Garcia insisting he regale the group with the story again. He hadn't even thought the proposal out, it just seemed right at the time and he went with how he felt for a change, not over thinking. Emily commented on how that was clearly a good sign for the pair.

Thinking of his love caused a small smile to form, but it didn't last long. He hadn't even told her about JJ; hadn't had time to break away and call her about it since it had been a race against the clock from the moment they got the call from Hotch.

His phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts. He didn't even look, hoping it was her.

"Hello."

" _Guess who's starting to walk?"_

Reid blinked and then cracked a very tiny, minuscule, smile. "Really? That's a little early."

Charlie looked at his phone for a moment, his friend's tone very off. _"It is, but not by much. Dad says its because he's a little short, which I find offensive."_

Despite himself, Reid chuckled a little. "Well either way, that's great Charlie."

Charlie sighed. _"It is."_ He paused. _"What happened?"_

Reid sighed, emotions overwhelming him again. "I can't. I can't process it, Charlie. I – Henry – almost lost…" He swallowed the sob, feeling tears fall.

The CalSci professor frowned. _"Is she okay?"_

" _She'd_ tell you that she is. She always internalizes everything."

Reid's eyes shot open. It all suddenly made _sense_.

When he had returned to the team to find Doyle and Declan, when Emily had returned and brought shock, excitement, and turmoil for him, it tore a hole in his relationship with JJ. She was arguably the one he was closest to on the team in many ways, often paired with her in the field. His bond with her son was a clear sign that they were connected. The reveal that Emily's death was faked had damaged that relationship. They had finally repaired it, even if there was still as small crack underneath that would make it never be quite the same.

After he had gotten some distance from that raw emotional event, he realized that JJ wasn't the _same_ after she returned to the team. He thought some of it was due to their strained relationship, and it may have been, but now he knew it wasn't _just_ that. She had been in a war zone for almost a year, during that time away from the team. She had been changed, damaged – hardened – after what she'd experienced. He couldn't figure out why she was changed at the time. He thought it was just the secret and its reveal, but now he knew it was _more_ , probably even more than they knew.

Now he was even more worried. What had she bottled up from that time that transformed her? This event was only going to bring that all back to the surface.

He felt more tears falling at that. Why did the people he love always end up in pain?

" _Spencer?"_

Reid had realized he'd gone silent for a minute or two. "Sorry. Just connecting some dots from long ago." Charlie bit his lip, guessing what he was talking about but could tell he needed to leave it be for now. "Anyway, I guess we'll see how she is. I'm just worried she's going to try to suppress it, not unlike…"

The professor sighed. _"Well, thankfully she's got a good friend to keep an eye on her. Maybe one that will push, knowing from experience what that's like. One that won't let her follow his footsteps."_

Reid smiled a fraction. "Yeah." They were silent a moment before Reid cleared his throat, needing to think about something else for a moment. "So, tell me more about how Matt is doing."


	43. Family

"Family"

February 2014

* * *

Reid bit his lip as the team studied their two young victims they found with Gabby. They had no family waiting for them here; theirs had given them away to that monster they had arrested. There was something the way the one, the young Asian girl, clung to him when he helped JJ get them out of that house...

"Spence?"

Reid blinked and turned, noticing the team staring at him, even Garcia through Morgan's phone. "Hmm, what? Did I miss something?" Blake and JJ smiled, both reading his thoughts and agreeing. Hotch sighed, remembering Emily feeling the same way. The difference was that Reid was getting married and already planning on adopting. But, he still worried about this idea.

"Go talk to the social worker, Spence. We'll finish up the paperwork," JJ encouraged, ignoring the concerned glance from their unit chief. Reid smiled at how well she knew him.

He headed over and smiled at the social worker and Agent Canning as they were leading the kids down the hall to an empty office, going to try to learn more about their histories. "Hi guys, you want something to eat? To drink?"

They both nodded, the girl's sad eyes piercing his soul. "Yes please," she whispered.

Agent Canning smiled, noting that was the first time she had spoken since they rescued her. She had noticed how the girl had initially clinged to Agent Reid at the house as well. "I'll go get some things from the break room," she offered, allowing the other two adults to take the kids the room. The boy quickly took a seat, pulling his legs up to his chest. The girl took a seat next the boy, but just crossed her arms. Reid could see the trauma and the hardness in her eyes, like she had stopped trying to protect herself. He couldn't decide if her responses to him were that she wanted to trust him or if it was a reaction from him being there to save her.

Reid nodded to the social worker and the two stepped back for a moment. "Spencer Reid," he introduced, whispering. "What do you think is the future for these two, really?"

She sighed and whispered back. "Angela Veal. And it's hard to say. They've clearly been traumatized and that's just with this last event; who knows what led to them ending up in this situation in the first place. So their chances of landing in a good, permanent home are, to be honest with you, slim." She sighed again and the pair looked at the kids. Reid nodded and bit his lip, taking a tentative step over to them. He smiled when they briefly looked up and he took a seat opposite them.

"My name is Spencer. What's yours?" The pair exchanged a glance. "Your real names, not the ones Ms. Fader made you use."

"Connor," he murmured, still hugging his knees.

"Yeong," she whispered. "Umma called me Yeong before…"

Reid smiled softly. It was clear she was an orphan turned adoption from overseas that went wrong…horribly wrong. "Means 'person with courage.'" She held his eyes. "Seems quite appropriate." She smiled softly. He caught the boy's eyes. "Connor means 'wise.'"

"What does Spencer mean?" Yeong asked.

Reid smiled. "Dispenser of provisions," he laughed. "It's not nearly as cool as yours." Canning came back in with some chips, cookies, and sodas. "But as least now we have some provisions or snacks, right?" Each reached out tentatively and took the snacks. Canning and Veal shared a glance. Reid grabbed a piece of paper and pen that were on the table. "You guys want to see something cool?" Yeong ate a chip and nodded; Connor a cookie. He did a few magic tricks for the kids, getting smiles and even a small laugh from Yeong. He continued to talk with the kids, slowly getting them to open up, Veal asking a few questions as well, getting to know them a little more.

About thirty minutes past before Blake softly knocked on the door, sticking her head in. "Reid, I'm sorry, but we need to get going."

He nodded. As he stood, the adults all noticed Yeong's eyes follow him and she bit her lip. He nodded to Veal and stepped to the side again. "Is it okay if I give her my card to call me if she wants?" Veal hesitated and he dropped his voice even more. "Listen, my fiancé and I were actually planning on adopting. We've both had experiences that can help us relate to her trauma and my line of work makes me ideal as someone to help her through this and finally live a good life. I still need to talk with Maeve and I know there's a lot of red tape that would have to be worked through, but if nothing else, I'd still like to be a friend." The social worker nodded and Reid turned back to the kids.

Bending down near their chairs, he handed both of them a business card. "You two continue to stay strong and wise, okay? If you ever want to talk, call me." Connor took the card and nodded. Yeong took the other one and looked at him hesitantly. Surprising the group, she jumped forward and hugged him.

"Goodbye nae yeong-ung. Thank you for the provisions."

Reid smiled as they separated. "I'm no one's hero, Yeong, but I'm happy to be your chingu." She smiled and nodded as he stood up and headed out. He took one last glance back before walking out with Blake. His heart was aching already. Blake squeezed his arm as they headed out of the station.

When they were on the plane and Reid was looking out the window, trying to figure out how to talk to Maeve about this, JJ slipped into the seat opposite him. He turned and caught her knowing gaze. "When you leave Henry back home, does it feel like you left your heart there?"

JJ smiled. "She got to you that quickly, huh?" He bit his lip and nodded. "Think Maeve will approve?"

"I think so. We'd already planned on adopting and had talked about considering an older child, giving one a home that might not otherwise find one because they were older or had issues." He paused. "Don and Robin's little one is thriving. I know she was significantly younger when they adopted her, but he's told me about how rewarding it was to take her out of that situation. I can't help but feel that for Yeong."

JJ nodded. "Well, I think it's a good idea, Spence." He smiled but bit his lip. "What?"

He leaned forward. "What about my, um, history?"

JJ frowned. "Spence, that's no where in your file, you wouldn't even need to mention it. And even if you do, you have so many references to show how long you've been clean, and how amazing you are. And not just agents from your own team who could be viewed as bias, but in LA. Not to mention a top US attorney, former astronaut, and two elite Caltech professors with NSA clearance...I _think_ your references will speak for themselves."

Reid smiled. He hadn't thought about the benefit of having all these amazing people in his life would be when it came to something like this. "Plus my fiancé is pretty brilliant herself." JJ chuckled and nodded.

"That she is." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm so happy you have her, Spence. That Charlie pushed you to ignore her wishes so we could help her." He nodded in agreement. "She's so fortunate to have someone like you in her life, just like we all are. Yeong would be so lucky to have you as well."

"I think I might be the blessed one, JJ. Having Charlie, this team, everyone else in LA, and then Maeve in my life has given me the family I've always wanted when it was just my mom and I. I've got amazing Uncles, brothers and sisters, dear friends, and the love of my life."

"Now you just need a child or two to love, and I think you may have found one."

\+ - x / + - x / + - x / + - x /

April 2014

Charlie smiled at Matt getting covered in frosting, trying to eat his first birthday cake. Looking around at the group gathered, he was a little sad that Spencer and Maeve weren't there, but he understood their reason for staying home this year. That thought made him smile even wider, actually. Yeong had joined them just two weeks ago.

Maeve had been very open to the idea and it amazed Charlie how quickly the couple had found a house. He didn't know Morgan restored properties and had gifted the couple one of them. They then met with Yeong and child services back in Mississippi. Given how well she connected to him initially and their references and background check, Charlie providing one himself, it had actually gone quite well for the couple to become her foster parents. He knew she was still adjusting, that it was going to take some time, and that's why they weren't there right now. They had sent a gift, which was fine with him.

He was so delighted that Spencer was finally getting a family of his own.

"Dada!"

Charlie focused back on his frosting covered son. "Look at you, birthday boy!"

Yes, family was everything. No math could fulfill his heart – either of the geniuses' hearts – like the love from their family could.

* * *

 **A/N: Umma = mom; nae yeong-ung = my hero; chingu = friend in Korean, at least according to Google.**


	44. From Teacher and Student to Brothers

"From Teacher and Student to Brothers"

September 2014

* * *

Charlie was standing in his favorite lecture hall. Tomorrow he'd be teaching his first class of the fall semester. Right now, however, he was thinking of when he first taught this class twenty years ago. He couldn't believe it had been that long.

"Happy 20th Anniversary, Professor."

Charlie spun around at his voice and grinned. "Doesn't that make you feel old?"

Reid walked into the room and laughed. "Well, when you factor in that was I was twelve and you were seventeen when we met, you can't technically call either of us old yet. But, we _have_ known each other for majority of our lives now." He stopped in front of Charlie, his hands in his pockets. "If someone would have told me that my first math professor when I went off to college would be the longest relationship in my life outside of my mother, I wouldn't have believed them. But, I'm grateful it is."

Charlie smiled, patting Reid on the shoulder and walking them out of the room for a trip around the quad. "If someone would have told me that I would have had a student that became like a brother to me, closer to me in some ways than my own biological brother, I wouldn't have believed them either. But I'm also grateful."

The pair meandered around the quad, remembering their times together while Reid was in school – his vending machine hack, the boat race, when they went to San Francisco for a conference, when they helped Larry with some of his presentations…

"You know, I think some of our best work was when we were no longer teacher and student," Charlie commented.

Reid smiled. "I agree. This past decade, in particular."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, it's been a crazy ten years, but look at us now. Both top of our fields, although different—"

"And yet similar. Both of us study math and the brain. Yours just looks at how math _runs_ the brain, creating our behavior and I look at how behavior uses math without even realizing it."

"True. Both of us married and with a kid," Charlie grinned. Charlie and Morgan had been co-best men at Reid and Maeve's wedding a few months ago in Vegas. Charlie had been incredibly thankful that they got that moment after Spencer's scare in May. If he hadn't had his family, Amita and Matt in particular, he could've easily spiraled down into some tangent like P vs nP or something like Posdner again when he had gotten the news that Spencer had been shot in the neck and nearly died at the hands of a corrupt police force.

"That _really_ is the miracle here," Reid added. The teacher shoved his student some, getting a laugh.

The pair settled on one of the outside tables with a chessboard set up. Students often played each other between classes. The geniuses were no strangers to the tables themselves. They quietly began a game.

"Thank you Charlie."

The older man looked up from the board, "For what?"

"For being my teacher, my mentor, my friend. For becoming my brother. I don't know if I would have made it through these past twenty years without you." He paused. "Well, I probably would have, but not _nearly_ as well. I have Maeve and Yeong now and my team is my family, but before that, I had my mother and I had _you_. So thank you."

On his way to campus, Reid had reflected on Charlie's impact on his life the past two decades. He had helped him though his college years, had really given him a support system he hadn't ever expected when he went off to get his higher education. But, it was ironically his help after he was no longer his student that had the biggest impact. He helped him navigate those early years at the FBI when he hadn't or couldn't fully open up to Gideon, Hotch, and Morgan. Then later JJ, Garcia, Elle, Emily, Rossi and Blake.

As close as he was with his BAU family, there were just some things Charlie could relate to that the others couldn't. Having that man just a phone call, and sometimes a short flight, away was an anchor that helped him through the dark moments in his life like the Fisher King, his abduction and addiction, Gideon leaving, and Emily's death and resurrection. He was also there to help him process the happier moments like becoming a godfather, falling in love, and becoming a father. He couldn't fathom how he would have gone through all of these things if he didn't have Charlie in his life.

Charlie grinned. "Well, you're welcome. Thank you as well. You've helped me just as much as I've helped you Spencer. I may have been the teacher in title, but I think you've taught me more about life than I have for you. So thank _you_."

When he had entered that classroom, before Spencer had announced himself, the mathematician had been reflecting on the same thing. It wasn't until his work with the FBI that Charlie got close to Don, and Spencer could take some of the credit for that. Spencer had helped him process moments like Larry's space expedition, Ashby, DARPA, Posdner, and Amita's kidnapping. He'd also been there for when he finally moved forward with his relationship with Amita, his London trip, and the birth of his son. Even though he was now very close with Don, Spencer just related to Charlie in many ways more than his flesh and blood ever could.

Something about being child prodigies, something about that _shared genius_ , that kept the pair forever linked – forever bonded. Neither knew where their lives would take them from here, but they knew there would be ups and downs. What they did know, even if there was no mathematical equation to support it, was that they could count on each other to be there, no matter what that future would be.

Because that's what brothers do.

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 **A/N: I know there are things in seasons 10 & 11 that Charlie could help Reid through. But, so could Maeve in many ways. The story was becoming too one-sided for me as I was struggling for a good balance, outside of happy news, on Charlie's side. I thought of creating sad news, but didn't have the heart. At least I made Reid's life a little happier with Maeve and then Yeong. When I could see that I was reaching the end of my creativity for this story, it seemed fitting to end at the beginning of season 10, making the story have run over ten years. I'm quite pleased with this ending; content to leave "Shared Genius" at this point in time.**

 **Thank you to all that have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story.** **I would especially like to thank some loyal readers that also constantly took the time to review this story - ahowell1993,** **mabelreid, and Sue1313.**

 **When I started to rewatch _Numb3rs_ , I hadn't expected this to come from it...or the creativity resurge that came with it as well; it really can take credit for anything I've posted in 2015 and beyond. So I thank that great show, which was in many ways was also the start of the "nerd" character becoming cool. Charlie really can take at least some credit for characters like Reid, Dr. Brennan, Hodgins and the squinterns from _Bones_ , Chuck "Carmichael" Bartowski from _Chuck_ , and the whole gang from _Th_ _e Big Bang Theory_ becoming key figures on our television screens.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for your support! ~Ann Parker**


End file.
